Love Thy Enemy
by dizzy - in - the - izzy
Summary: They lost their bending, and the fighting began. They blamed each other, angry for what they think the other had done. After 100 years, the fighting had increased. But the solution was being caught in the middle. AU!
1. Chapter 1: Normal

_So, I'm second guessing this new story, but I'm pretty sure I will like it once I get the beginning worked out. I hope you like it though, because I wrote it for you, the readers._

_I'm not going to explain much. The story will unfold as you read. :)_

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Shots rang through the hall as I slipped down the sidewalk. I knew I shouldn't be in the middle of it, but I had to. Entering the door, I slipped into the side hallway. I went as fast but as quietly as I could to my locker, putting in the combination as fast as my fingers would fly. Digging down under my books, I grabbed my gun. My dad had given it to me just for these kinds of situations. I walked up to the entry way into the main hall way, where the shots were being fired. I looked around the corner to see two guys wearing yellow bandanas looking right at me. I ducked around the corner just as they fired at me. Pieces of the wall flew across in front of me.

"We see you over there." A menacing voice came from the main hallway. I didn't say anything as I waited for more shooting. They shot a couple more shots at me, but I didn't flinch.

This was a normal day for me.

I could hear someone whispering, and then I felt someone come up behind me. I whirled around, my gun out in front of me.

"Katara, it's just me." Sokka whispered. I pulled my gun back down to my leg, and turned around.

"We have to get out of here." I said quietly, listening as more shots fired at the wall next to me. I could feel Sokka nod, then he pulled me down the hall. I made no sound. I didn't want to get shot.

Sokka led me out the door to his motorcycle, where we jumped on as fast as we could. I heard yelling coming from the main hallway as we sped off down the street towards our house. The school was in lockdown. When shootings happened, which they did regularly, everyone locked their classroom doors and stayed inside until they got called by my father.

I heard car tired squeal behind me, and I looked back to see the guys following us. The car had an arrow on it, the only way you could ever tell it was from the North Side of town. Sokka swerved onto the Boulevard, weaving between cars. He ran a red light, not caring that a cop car was sitting at the intersection. But they didn't have time to follow us, as the North Side car flew past them, shooting their tires. I held on tighter to Sokka as he sped over the bridge and down the side road the led to our driveway. He skidded into our driveway and the gate keeper shut it immediately, running up to the house. I jumped off the bike and ran through the front door of my house. Sokka was right behind me.

"Katara, get the back." My dad said, throwing me another gun. I dropped my hand gun in the basket next to the coat rack, and walked to the back door. It wasn't hard to jump over my back fence and get into my back yard. People did it all the time.

I stood at my back door, ready for someone to jump over. I heard shots from the front, and my dads swearing. Then I heard someone grunt, and I turned.

Two men stood in front of me, their blue arrows clear on their forehead. I held up my gun, ready to shoot. The older guy swore when he saw me, running around the small pond towards the front. The other boy just stood there, staring at me. I pointed my gun at him, ready to shoot. His gun hung limply in his hand. He didn't even move to try to protect himself. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, maybe you should get out of my backyard now." I said, trying to sound scary. I guess I did, because he jumped up in the air and landed on my fence. I stared; pretty sure I was seeing things.

I thought the act of Airbending was _lost…_

Before I could react, he jumped down off my fence and I heard his foot steps fade away. I heard my mother scream, and I turned. Somehow a North Side had gotten into the gates and was throwing stuff out of a bag all over our front yard. He was shooting the windows, which thank God were bullet proof, and when he was done he ran, only to get shot by our gardener. I set my gun down on the stair case. My dad was standing in the door way.

"Watch it!" He yelled at the men running off our property. I pulled my hair back into a pony tail, ready for more people to come. But nothing happened. It was quiet, the still making me uneasy. My dad sighed, and we knew it was over. I looked at Sokka, who was giggling to himself. I rolled my eyes, bounding up the stairs to my room. When I entered, I saw that my window was open, and there was a note on my dresser. I smiled. My good friend Toph was always leaving me notes. She hated talking on the phone.

_Lockdown sucked, so I dug myself a tunnel and went to the arcade. Hope you guys are a-okay._

I threw the note in the pile I had started of note she had left me and shut my window. Sitting on my bed, I opened my journal and wrote down what had just happened. I wrote down every attack, every detail of every fight. I liked to have a record of what had happened over the past three years. I had a stack of about 10 journals, filled with fights, cheating, and deception. I was tempted to write a novel, but that wouldn't be the best.

* * *

"And in local news tonight, another lock down at South High due to a shoot out today. No one was hurt in the shooting, but campus officials say it was brought on by the insistent fighting between the Heken and Zephin families. This fighting has gone on for about 100 years now, close to three generations. No one knows the origin of the fighting, but some elders say it started when the Waterbenders and Airbenders lost their bending ability. The fighting is worse today, due to the use of guns and small bombs. But, what can you do? So Ban, how is the weather."

My mom turned off the television, turning to me and my brother in the kitchen doing out homework.

"So, how is the school taking this?" She asked no one in particular.

"They are just telling us to be ready for the next time." Sokka said. I nodded, looking down at my English homework. I had no clue what I was supposed to do.

"Don't forget the part about how they do not want ANY school rivalry at the Highmans Ball. They say any of that and all of our school dances will be canceled." I added. My mom shook her head.

"They are taking this pretty seriously, aren't they?" She asked, and I and Sokka nodded. She smiled, walking over next to us, wrapping her arms around our heard.

"And I know that my kids will be perfect little angels at the Highmans ball, right?" She said, raising her eyebrow. I looked over at Sokka, smirking. Mom laughed.

She walked away, her fingers crossed.

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_First chapter, a success.  
Review please. Thank you._


	2. Chapter 2: Highmans Ball

_So, thank you to those who reviewed. I know that first chapter was kind of confusing. Trust me, things will start to clear up as the next chapters unfold. Just to let you know, Toph can actually see with her eyes, but she is still like the best earth bender in the world. So yeah. Next chapter._

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my iPod, which my friend stole.**

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"Katara, you look stunning!" Suki said, her hand covering her heart. I blushed, looking at myself in the mirror. The dress was formal, but it had an edgy look to it. The color was light, almost pale blue. The darkness of my skin made the dress color pop. My eyes were sparkling blue, clear and crystal. I had the feeling that this was going to be the best dress I could find. Suki squealed, clapping her hands. I smiled.

Sometimes she could be too overly excited. Toph was sitting on a chair, picking her nose.

"It looks good Katara." Toph said. I smiled at her. I knew I could always count on her.

"Are you ladies finding everything you need?" The sales lady asked us. Suki smiled at her.

"Yes we are." She said her voice high and happy. I winced as the sales lady nodded and exited the room. I looked at the price tag, and the dress just got even more perfect.

"I'm getting this one." I said, heading back into the dressing room. Suki squealed, and Toph scoffed. I took off the dress and slipped back into my clothes. Suki had been ready to go for a while, and Toph wasn't buying a dress, so we slipped back into the store and paid for our dresses. When we walked back out into the mall, we saw a group of boys wearing yellow bandanas standing next to the large fountain. I pushed Suki the other way and Toph followed.

"Why must they always hang out there, in the middle of the mall?" I asked anyone that was listening. No one answered though, because when we turned the corner, I ran right into somebody.

"Shit!" I said, falling backwards onto the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The boy said, crouching down to see if I was okay. When I looked up, I was shocked as to what I saw.

It was the boy from my backyard. I couldn't forget him. I saw up at night, remembering his bending, wondering how he had done it. I looked at him now, and saw his eyes. They were a deep grey, with a hint of blue at the deepest point. His face was flawless, perfection. I was so lost in his face; I didn't notice that he was talking to me.

"Hey, are you alright?" He said, and I was brought too.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just, help me up please." I asked, afraid of my legs giving way. He gently pulled me up, holding my arm as I found my footing. I smiled at him when I found my balance.

"I'm sorry." He said, smiling back. It was the most amazing smile I had ever seen.

"It's okay." I replied, taking my bag back from him. He looked at the bag.

"Are you going to the Highmans Ball?" He asked, curiosity covering his face.

"Yes, we are." Suki answered before I could. The boy smiled.

"Well, hopefully I'll see you there." He said, before turning and jogging off into the crowd of people. I watched him go, somehow saddened by the fact that he was gone.

"He was cute, wasn't he Katara?" Toph teased. I scowled at her. I walked out of the mall to the parking garage, ready to go home and show my mother my dress. Suki and Toph discussed the boy the whole ride home, even thought Suki's detail was a little more… stalkerish. I turned onto my street and saw the car sitting out front of my driveway gate. I stopped my car in a hurry. Suki and Toph flew forward in their seats, suddenly aware of the setting they were in. I jammed the car in reverse and turned around in the middle of the street. I looked in my rearview mirror to see that the guys in the car had seen me.

And they were following.

"Fuck." I cursed. Toph sighed, turning around to look at the car chasing us. I drove out onto the Boulevard, not speeding up. The evening traffic was clogging up the street, making things just even more terrifying. I looked back at Toph, who was still staring intensely at the car.

"Two guys. I don't think they are going to stop following you." She said. She didn't move from her position. Suki was no help, at all. She was freaking out in the passenger seat. I rolled my eyes at her as I turned onto a side street that led to the back entrance of my house. I sped up a little as I got to the gate. The gate keeper opened it, and then shut it immediately. The car idled outside the gate, then backed away and drove off. I looked over at Suki, who had finally calmed down. I rolled my eyes and got out of the car. Toph followed, but Suki sat there for a while.

"She's calming down. She's not used to your life." Toph said, chuckling to herself. I dropped my bag off and walked into the kitchen. My mom was standing there, looking out the back window. She had obviously seen what had happened.

"They didn't shoot?" She asked.

"They didn't. It was crowded on the Boulevard today." I said, grabbing a water bottle.

"Well, I'm proud of you for handling that well." Mom said, patting me on the back. I smiled at her, then walked up into my room, with Toph following.

"Writing that down?" She asked. I nodded.

"You know me. I always write it down." I teased.

O.o

Like always at the Highmans Ball, the room was split. Most of the North stayed to the right, while the South stayed to the left. Some people mingled, but they weren't in the rival high schools or just didn't care. Like a true South, I stayed to the left most of the time. I danced with a couple guys, laughed with Toph as Suki and Sokka did their awkward we-like-each-other-but-are-to-chicken-to-tell-each-other routine and had some good food. Amazingly enough, everyone was staying pretty civil. No one was yelling death threats, throwing pieces of crab, or holding a gun. Last years events were absurd, and I could only guess that the threat of losing all dances stopped any attempt of vengeance. Watching the crowd, I studied the people in the middle of the room. Everyone out in the middle looked as though they weren't from either the South, or the North. Just simple Fire benders and Earth benders, who were not at each others throats for the past 100 years; They were all having a good time, while everyone else was eyeing the other side. I sighed and tapped my foot to the beat of the music. The song was upbeat and happy. I didn't like it much, but it was okay. Someone sat down at the table I occupied. I didn't look up. I didn't want to dance, and I didn't want to talk to anyone.

The song ended, and a slower song played. I smiled at the melody. It was soft, calming.

"Do you want to dance?"

I looked over at the person sitting at the table. I almost jumped when I saw it was the guy I had ran into at the mall just three days earlier. He wasn't wearing a tux like all the other guys were, but a nice dress shirt and black slacks. When I looked at his eyes, I saw that they were just as deep as I remembered them.

"Um, I'm not... really good at dancing." I said, telling the honest truth. He shrugged.

"All you have to do is go in a little circle." He smiled, holding out his hand. I took it, and he led me out onto the dance floor. I saw Toph give me a look from the food table. The dance floor wasn't crowded, so the boy stopped not far out into the crowd of people and turned to me. I placed my hands on his shoulder, which were very high up, and he carefully put his hands on my hips. We moved to the music, swaying with the beat. I was so focused on my steps that I ran into someone. He laughed, and pulled me a little farther out into the crowd. Less people were out in the middle.

"I saw you in the mall three days ago."He pointed out, and I nodded.

"Sorry, again for running into you." He shook his head.

"It was no big deal. I seem to be running into people left and right these days." He said, and I laughed.

"Not as bad as me. Running into people is my specialty." I smiled while saying. He smiled back.

"Do you come to the ball every year?" He looked down at me, pulling me towards him as I almost ran into someone else.

"I've been coming since I was 12. My parents wouldn't let me come at any earlier age. Afraid I'd get hurt in the fighting." I explained. He nodded.

"I could understand that. I heard about what happened last year. Pretty crazy." He chuckled. His laugh came from deep down in his chest. It was heart warming.

"What's your name?" I asked, realizing that I didn't know it.

"It's Aang. What's yours?" He answered.

"Katara." I said, watching his face. He smiled a goof grin, and I felt butterflies in my stomach.

"That is really pretty. I like it." He said, pulling me away from hitting someone else. I laughed, blushing at my awful skills. Aang watched me, laughing along with me.

"You weren't lying when you said you were a horrible dancer." He teased.

"I wouldn't lie about that. I just suck." I said, looking around. It was getting hot, and I wanted to get out of the place.

"Want to go for a walk?" I asked, hoping he would say yes.

He nodded, and we ran for the door.

O.o

The cool night air blew my hair across my face as I sat next to the fountain outside of the ball room. The fountain was dedicated to Aya Jesti, a woman who had tried her hardest to stop the fighting. She died while trying to handle a hostage situation. She was a hero to a lot of people.

"It's really pretty out here." Aang said. He had his shoes off, his pants rolled up and his feet in the fountain. I nodded.

"Mhm. It's always a really pretty night the night of the Ball. It kind of mocks the feeling inside the hall." I said absentmindedly. I was waving my hand of the water, imaging what it would be like to be able to bend. I looked up at the moon, in all of its beauty. I could still hear the music from inside.

"Katara?" Aang said cautiously. I looked over at him, and saw he was watching my hand. I looked down and saw the water below my hand was moving, swaying with my hand. I pulled my hand back to my body, like it was on fire. I looked at Aang, who had moved back from me.

"You're a waterbender?" He asked, looking just a little appalled as he said it. I nodded slowly.

"But, the act of waterbending has been lost for like 100 years. I had no clue I even could…." I trailed off. My mind was racing. I held my hand out above the water again, trying to pull the water towards me. It moved towards me, just as I wanted. I pulled my hand back to me, scared.

"Airbenders and Waterbenders aren't supposed to have their bending abilities. They lost them, as you probably already know. That is why they….. we fight." Aang said, picking his feet out of the water.

"Then how can I bend?" I asked, putting my hand under my but. I was scared to move them.

"I don't know." He said, his eye brows pulling together. He was in deep thought. That was when I remembered the boy that had air bended in my back yard.

"Wait a minute." I said, breaking his concentration. "You were in my backyard last week, when the North held a shoot out at my school. And you air bended over my fence!" I said, getting up. I backed away from him. It was like a natural instinct.

Prey shying away from its predator.

"Yes, I did. But I don't remember even thinking about it. I was standing on the ground, and then I was up in the air." He said, getting up. I backed away further. I wasn't sure of what to do. I had never met someone from the North Side. I had never met a Zephin.

"Why are you backing away from me? I'm not going to hurt you." Aang said his face sincere. I looked him in the eyes, and all I saw was care. But I didn't move.

"Natural instinct." I said, and Aang sighed.

"Look, I hate the fighting. I think it's stupid. I don't want to miss out on getting to know you only because you are a Heken. It doesn't matter to me. I hate what my dad has done." He said, moving towards me. I didn't move. I kept my arms crossed though.

"Your dad is Pape Zephin?" I asked, my hard defense gone. He nodded.

The stuff I had heard about Mr. Zephin was pretty absurd. He was supposed to be a mean drunk, and an abuser. I looked at Aang. He shrugged.

"Yeah." He said, looking up at the sky. I suddenly felt really bad.

"I'm sorry Aang. It just that…. Well, our families have been fighting for soo long, and it's just natural for me to try to get away from the Zephins." I explained, walking up next to him. I placed my hand on his shoulder, watching his face.

"It's okay. I just find the fighting to be really annoying." He said, putting his arm around me. It was getting cold, so I moved closer to him. I smiled at him, and we walked back over to the fountain. I sat down, listening to the music coming from the ball room. But then I heard something else.

First there were screams, and then there were shots.

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_So, that was 5 pages of writing. Like, over 2, 500 words in this chapter. :) Proud of myself. Review please. :) I really like this idea._


	3. Chapter 3: Anger

_So, right now I've got a friend over, and we are watching Law & Order SVU.  
Oh, and I love this story. :) I'm like, having such a fun time writing it._

**Disclaimer: I OWN at just about everything, but not this.**

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I had a delayed reaction to the shots. I froze up. I wasn't expecting shots to be fired this year. Aang got up, ran into the hall. I moved slowly, scared of what was happening in there. Suki ran out, saw me and nearly killed me when she ran into me.

"Someone started a fight. They all pulled out guns." She said, surprisingly calm for the situation. Toph walked up behind her, her eyes wary. I watched the door, as more people came out. Some where on their cell phones, most likely calling the police. I heard someone inside yell, and everything got quiet. I moved to the door, to see the police chief. Apparently, he had decided to attend the ball this year.

"Everyone, drop your guns! Or we will do it for you." He said. I looked, and saw that not only had the police chief, but the whole police station had decided to attend. I saw the group of boys who had started the fight. It was a mix of South and North, their guns in each others stomachs. I cringed when I saw Sokka.

Slowly, people started to drop their guns. Some dropped knives as well. It was so quiet in the hall, everything that happened was amplified. I watched as the police escorted everyone involved in the fight out of the hall. Suki grabbed my hand and pulled me to the middle of the hall, where everyone that had stayed was standing. The lights had been dimmed, and the band played again. I laughed at Suki as she tripped over her own feet and fell.

"Shut up Katara!" She said, giving me a look. A hand grabbed my arm and I twirled around to see Aang, smiling at me. He pulled me out of the crowd and over to a table. We sat, and he handed me a glass of water.

"So, apparently someone bumped into someone, and they got into a little tussle." He said. I nodded, committing that to memory.

"The fighting never seems to stop." I commented, looking out at Toph. She was being led around the dance floor by a guy. She was laughing. I smiled at the sight.

"Wanna go dance before the band goes home?" I asked. Aang nodded, and we went back out onto the dance floor, staying there with everyone else until the band packed up.

O.o

I rolled over, slapping my alarm clock. I shut up, and I pulled the covers back over my head. I cursed as I heard my mom yell for me from downstairs. I stayed where I was, not wanting to get up.

I had gotten home at 3 AM, and gone to sleep just soon after. Suki and Toph drove me, and then they went home themselves. Aang had ended up walking, even though we offered him a ride. He said no though. I could only guess it was because of his father.

"KATARA!" My dad yelled. I groaned and rolled over.

"WHAT?" I yelled back. My head pounded from lack of sleep.

"GET DOWN HERE, NOW!" My dad yelled back. I cringed, knowing just by the tone of his voice that he was angry.

I walked down the stairs to the living room, where my parents sat. Sokka was lying on the big couch, and I sat down on the floor next to it. I let my head rest on the table in front of me.

"What?" I asked. I didn't look up.

"Sokka told me that last night you spent most of your time with a boy from the North." He said. I looked up, and saw the disgust on his face. I couldn't figure out if it was towards me, or the "the boy from the North".

"Yes. And your point is?" I watched as his face contorted into an ugly frown. He was angry at me.

"I will not allow you to talk to anyone from that disgusting family. Not at all. After what they did, causing us to lose our bending. You are grounded." He said the last part a last minute decision. I groaned, wanting to say something witty but my brain was too tired. But I did have one thing for him.

"Dad, you do know that they lost their bending too?" I said, looking at the table. It was fogged glass, and there were little patterns of water in it. I could see my pajamas pants through the table.

"Karma. We lost out powers first." He said and I looked at him, completely shocked.

"So now it's a game of who lost their powers first? Do you even have an explanation for what they did to cause us to lose our powers, or are you just blaming it on them because you can?" I snapped, getting up. My dad stared at me. He was thinking; I could see the line of his forehead. Sokka snored a little. He tried to turn over, but instead fell off the couch. He looked up at me, and I looked away. I was too angry at him to laugh at his stupidity.

"Katara, they did it. I'm sure." He said. I scoffed.

"So you don't have an explanation for this? You just want someone to blame, so you can't blame yourself. What if we caused this?!" I was yelling now, my blood boiling. I could feel the anger in my hands as they curled into fists.

"We couldn't have Katara. Why would we take away our own powers! That is absurd." He yelled back. My mother watched, waiting to see what I said.

"Not really. Like you said, Karma could do this! What if we did something horrible and Karma caused us to lose our powers?! And then when the North laughed at us, they lost theirs? Anything is possible Dad." I yelled in his face. He just stood there, completely shocked at my words. I had never stood up to him before, or even doubted his reasoning for why we had lost our powers. But after my talk with Aang the night before, I had started to think differently.

"Katara, you need to go back to sleep. You aren't thinking straight." He said, trying to push me up the stairs. I locked my feet in place and crossed my arms.

"I sure as hell am thinking straight. I know what's coming out of my own mouth dad. You don't though. You have no explanation for this, and everything I'm saying is the truth. You just can't handle it." I snapped at him. He glared at me, looking as though he could smack me.

"You are completely out of line young lady. You go up to your room, and stay there. You're grounded for two months." He said, pushing me again. I almost fell, but caught myself. I stared at him, refusing to let him change the subject that quickly.

"No." I said, lowering my voice. He was about to slap me when my mom grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

"Hakoda, I think you should leave her alone. So what if she was dancing with a boy from the North. It's not like he tried to hurt her…. Right Katara?" She asked me, looking around my father to look at me.

"No he did not. He was a complete gentleman; contrary to your thinking dad, they happen to be human beings." I said, going into the kitchen. I could hear my mom trying to calm my dad down. I grabbed a bag of chips and opened it. Sokka walked into the kitchen, staying on the opposite side of the island. I glared at him as I crunched my chips, imagining that they were his head.

"I'm sorry Katara. But, you were dancing and talking and like, flirting with the enemy." He said

"The _enemy_ has a name you know." I spat. I threw the empty bag in the garbage can and grabbed a glass. I made myself a cup of coffee, sipping it even though it was too hot.

"He is still the enemy." Sokka said. I almost threw my coffee cup at him.

"For all you know, we could be the bad guys." I said, before walking up to my room. I sat down at my desk, taking out my notebook. I wrote down the events of the night, finishing my coffee by the time I was done. Someone knocked at my door, and I got up to open it. My mom was standing there, the phone in her hand.

"It's for you." She said, looking almost scared. I cocked my head to the side, and she handed me the phone.

"He said his name is Aang." She said, before exiting my room. I heard my dad in his study, throwing stuff around. I put the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I said, hoping that he was still there and my dad hadn't scared him off.

"Hey, Katara?" Aang answered, and I smiled. I sat down on my bed.

"Hey. How are you?" I asked. I curled back under my covers, and opened my blind. The warmth made feel a whole lot better.

"I should be asking you that. Your dad doesn't sound too happy." He said. I laughed a little.

"He was royally pissed off at me. My brother told him I was hanging out with a boy from the North all night long." I said.

"Gee. I sure wouldn't want to be him right now." He joked, and I giggled a little.

"How is your side of the town?" I asked, trying to go onto the subject of his family lightly.

"My dad is really pissed off. I have been grounded for the rest of my life, but my mom is working on letting me free. She is angry, don't get me wrong. But she is angry for other reasons." He said. I could hear stuff on the other side of the line moving. Papers and a mattress squeak. He was also curled up in bed.

"Yeah. I was going to be grounded for two months, but I don't think that went into effect for long." I said.

"Why is that?" He asked.

"Well, I am on the phone, aren't I?" He laughed.

"That you are. So, I was wondering. What are you doing later?" The words came out in a hurry, as though he had just then got up the courage to ask. I smiled to myself.

"Nothing, I think." I said. I looked over at my clock. It was 12 o'clock.

"Do you want to go for lunch?" He asked.

"Let me ask my mom." I said, getting up and going out into the hall way. My mom was folding clothes outside of her room.

"Mom, can I go out for lunch with a friend?" I asked, and she smiled at me.

"I won't tell your dad."

I hugged her quickly, and slipped back into my room.

"I'll come pick you up." He said, and we hung up.

I sat down on my bed, holding the phone in my hand. I looked at myself in the mirror, and cursed.

"Fuck, I need to shower." I said to myself and I ran into the shower.

* * *

_I am so excited for the next chapter, you have no clue.  
Ah, well I have to let my friend check her myspace._

_Reviews make me smile :)_


	4. Chapter 4: Jealousy

_I replaced this chapter due to some pretty funny spelling errors._

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"I don't want her going!" Hakoda said to his wife, trying to get his point across. But she kept folding the clothes.

"Hakoda, let her go. What harm is it going to do? I think the likes spending time with him. Just see what happens." Kaya said, putting her daughter's clothes into her green basket. She pushed the basket down the hall, setting down Sokka's basket in front of his door and Katara's in front of hers.

"What if something bad happens? What if his dad put him up to this? What if they are planning on killing her?" Hakoda trailed off, staring at the ceiling. Kaya sighed.

"You are just being paranoid. But I will make you a deal. If it all goes right, she comes home happy and nothing bad happened, you let her go again. But," She said as Hakoda started to protest, "If she does end up getting hurt, I will let you do whatever you want to do to get back at Pape for it." She finished, and her husband smiled.

"Deal." He said, pulling her into a hug.

Katara stuck her head out of her door, her hair wet.

"Mom, have you seen my favorite blue jeans?" She asked, her eyes going over her parents embrace.

"Yes, they are in that basket in front of you." She said. Katara looked down, laughed and pulled the basket into her room. Hakoda scoffed.

"Girls worry too much about what they are going to wear." He said, but Kaya laughed.

"At least she isn't wearing a skirt." Kaya noted, breaking free of his arms and picked up the remaining clothes. Hakoda nodded.

"Thank God."

O.o

I sat down at my desk, braiding my hair. It was still wet, but I had no time to blow dry it. My hair took _hours_ to blow dry at best. When I was done braiding, I put on my make up. When I walked out of my bedroom, my mom and dad were gone. The hall way was empty, leaving an eerie feeling to it. The sun was shining through the window at the end of the hall way, and I could see the particles floating in the light. Sokka's bright orange door gave me a head ache just by looking at it, and I looked away. There was some noise coming from downstairs, most likely Sokka watching T.V. I moved down the stairs quietly.

My house was too big; there were only four people but there were 7 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. My friends frequently stayed over at my house just because I had the biggest house.

"Katara, is that you?" Sokka asked, too lazy to look away from the T.V.

"Yeah, it is." I said, moving into the kitchen. I opened the fridge, looking for a soda.

"Can you bring me a Coke?" He asked, the channel on the T.V changing as a commercial came on. I groaned, grabbing the last Coke for him and a Sprite for me. I walked into the living room, where I threw the Coke at Sokka's head.

"OW!" He yelled as it made contact. I laughed as he got up, holding his head. He hopped around, yelling obscenity after obscenity. I sat down, grabbing the remote.

"What the fuck was that for?" He asked me as he jumped into the kitchen, grabbing an ice pack. I shrugged, taking a sip of my Sprite. It was 12:30, and Aang was coming at one. He had to do some chores before he left.

"I thought you were leaving. That was why Mom had to bribe Dad while you were in the shower." Sokka said, sitting on the ground, far out of my reach. I smiled to myself.

"I'm getting picked up at one." I kept my answers short, to the point. I was still just a tad bit ticked off at Sokka. I was feeling a lot better after throwing a soda at his head though. He looked down at his soda can, and moaned.

"This is going to explode when I open it." He said, getting up and going out onto the patio. He opened the can, and Coke came spraying out all over him. I started laughing, holding my stomach. He looked so stupid, so ridiculous. He yelled as the soda got into his eyes. I fell over onto my side on the couch, no longer able to control my laughter. I could hear Sokka swearing under his breath.

"Will you at least spray me off? Grab me a towel maybe?" He said to me. I grabbed a beach towel out of the downstairs closet before heading out onto the patio. I was about to grab the hose, when I thought of a funnier idea. I pulled Sokka over to next to our pool, and then pushed him into the deep end. He made a huge cracking noise as he hit the water, belly down. He came up yelling again, and my mom poked her head out my window.

"What is going on down there?" She asked, and then laughed when she saw Sokka, floating in the water fully clothed.

"Hakoda, come look at his!" Mom called, and then my dad was in the window. He laughed, the sound filling the air. I smiled, watching as Sokka got up out of the water. I handed him the towel, which he took with a dirty look.

"Hey, I got you clean. I don't think you would have liked what I would have done to you with the hose." I said, walking back into the house.

"Yeah, well you're lucky I'm nice. I should have pushed you into the pool, fully clothed. You'd be late for your date." He teased. I turned around, giving him my sweetest look.

"Thank you, kind brother." I said sarcastically.

I sat back down on the couch, watching the T.V. Sokka eventually walked inside, being careful as he walked across the tile floor to the down stairs bathroom. I heard the shower go on. My mom came down the stairs, looking at me.

"Well, you look nice." She said. I smiled, moving over so she could sit next to me. She sat, watching me as I drank some of my Sprite. I made a funny face at her, and she smiled.

"You know that your dad just loves you, and he is only doing this out of love." She said, grabbing my hand. I nodded.

"I know Mom. I know that he loves me, and this is only because he hates them just as much as he loves all of us. I just think that this whole fighting this is getting very very old. I think it's time to move on." I watched as she nodded, thinking. It was harder to tell when she was thinking. She didn't have the tell tale signs like my dad and brother did. She was more discreet.

"You're right, but it's going to need an explanation before anyone stops or gives up. I don't think it's going to be as easy as 'Hey, lets just stop fighting now because if our kids can get along in think that we can too', and it's going to take time before it all gets back to normal. The high schools are still going to rivals, but at least the violence will stop." My mom was so intelligent at times; I could only wonder what she was thinking the rest of the time. I nodded, letting her know I understood what she was saying. She smiled before getting up. I looked back at the T.V, where three girls were getting into to verbal fight. I changed the channel. Reality T.V was fake to me; it made me want to throw up. I was deciding on what to watch when the buzzer rang. I jumped up, hitting the button.

"Yes Carter?" I said.

"There is a young man here for you, Miss Katara." He said.

"Let him in." I said. I looked out the front window to see the gates opening, and a blue car pulled in. My dad came down the stairs, his foot steps heavier than need be.

"I'd like to meet him, if that is okay with you Kaya." He said to my mom, not me. I rolled my eyes.

"Hakoda, I think you better just let Katara go. You can meet him some other time, when you are calmed down." My mom said, winking at me. I smiled, opening the door. Aang waved at me from his car.

"I'll call you!" I yelled after my parents, then closed the door and hopped down the steps. Aang held the passenger door open for me, and I slipped in. He shut the door, and then got in on his own side.

"I'm surprised I didn't see your dad in the door way, threatening to shoot me." He teased, pulling out of my driveway. I waved to Carter, and he waved back. He was eyeing Aang, wary. I rolled my eyes, yet again.

"He was going to….." I said, trailing off. Aang eyed me.

"Was?" His tone was questioning.

"Well, my mom kind of changed his mind at the last second." I said, laughing as I remembered the sight of my mom pulling my dad up the stairs. Aang laughed too, but his laughter was out of relief. He pulled onto the Boulevard, heading east.

"So, where are we going?" He asked, and I stared at him.

"You didn't think of that?" I asked. He laughed.

"No, I was just wondering if you had a special request." He teased, and I laughed.

"A sandwich sounds good right now." I said, watching Aang drive.

"Sandwiches it is." He said, turning onto one of the many roads that connected to the Boulevard. He kept driving, going down roads I didn't even know of until we stopped out front of a small little house.

"This looks like someone's home." I said, looking at it. The house was painted blue, with white trim. There were kids playing out front, and the sprinklers were going out back. Aang got out, and then opened my door. I stood up, looking around.

"It was someone house, until the guy who lived here started to sell these really good sandwiches to the kids of the neighborhood. After a while, those kids got older and started to bring their friends and then their kids when they had some. The guy got a commercial kitchen license and a marketing permit from the city, and now it's a sandwich joint. It's probably one of the best kept secrets of the city, right after the river."

"What river?" I asked, completely confused. Aang smiled.

"You'll see." He smiled, taking my hand and pulling me up the walk way to the front door. The door was open, and I could hear people talking inside. We walked in, and I was shocked. The first floor of the house looked like a regular restaurant. The kitchen was off through one door, and there was a bar to sit at, or tables. Aang walked over to a table, and we sat down. A waitress came over and handed us both menus, and took our drink orders.

"This place is so cool." I said, looking out the window at the kids playing in the yard. Any regular person going by would have never known this was a sandwich shop. I looked at the menu, and my mouth started watering.

"What are you going to get?" I asked Aang, not able to choose. He had his menu in front of him, but he wasn't looking at it.

"What I always get. A Chicken César Salad, hold the chicken." He said.

"You're a vegetarian, right?" I said, and he nodded.

"Well, that sounds really appetizing right now." I said, laughing. "I think I'll get one, just with the chicken." I said, and Aang laughed. We sat there for a second, in silence. There were so many sounds around me. I could hear the people in the kitchen, talking and yelling orders at each other. The other people in the house were talking, and even though it was pretty quiet I could still make out everything that was being said. The kids were making the best noises though. It was mid May, and the sun had started to show more than clouds. It was getting hotter, and it was a perfect opportunity to break out the sprinklers and kiddy pool; that was exactly what the kids out front had done. I watched as an older kid sprayed the hose up in the air, and girls screamed as the water rained down on them. I was so mesmerized; watching them was somehow uplifting. They didn't have to worry about someone driving by and shooting at them as they played. These kids were so free here on the East side of town. I envied them.

"They look like they are having so much fun." I said, looking back at Aang. He nodded, looking back down at the newspaper in front of him. I already knew what the headline read. The waitress came back over to take our orders, a pen and pad in her hand.

"How are you guys doing? Ready to order yet?" She asked, looking at me. I nodded, but Aang said the orders before I could open my mouth.

"Two César's, hold the chicken on one." He said, handing back the menus. I smiled at her, and she walked off into the kitchen.

"Do you come here often?" I asked him, very curious.

"Just once or twice a month. I try to go after a big shoot out or event. After a shoot out, there is not likely to be another one for a while, so I'm safe to go where I please." He said, and I nodded.

"I'll be coming here more, that is for sure. It's a nice place."

Aang let his head fall into his hands, and then he slapped himself.

"I just lost the game." He said, and I glared at him.

"I hate you." I said, losing the game myself. Aang laughed.

"Do you know how long it's been since I lost the game? I've been doing GREAT! And you just ruined it." I said, making Aang laugh. I glared at him.

"I haven't lost in a while. But watching those kids play, I just lost." I laughed, and the waitress came back with our plates of food. She set them down, and took our drinks to go refill them. I looked down at my bowl. I had never had a Cesar salad before.

"You look like you are staring at an alien." Aang said, spreading his dressing onto his salad. I poured the dressing on and took a bite. The dressing was spicy, but the lettuce cooled off my mouth.

"I've never had Cesar Salad before." I said, and Aang stared.

"Really?" He said, and I nodded. He shrugged, and continued with his salad. We ate the rest of our lunch in silence. I would catch him staring at me every once in a while, but we would go back to eating immediately. When we were done, we brought out bowls to the bar, and headed back out into the sunlight. I was almost 2: 30 by now, and I was sure my parents weren't expecting me home any time soon.

"Ready to see the river?" He asked, and I nodded.

"I have no clue what you mean, but I'm ready." I said. Aang laughed, driving down side roads again.

"How do you know about the river, and I don't?" I asked, a little jealous.

"I've been… around so to speak." He laughed, and I looked out the window. We were heading into what my mom called the outer skirts of the city. Aang pulled into a small little dead end side street, and parked the car. I got out, looking around. It was quiet, and the wind was blowing through the huge trees. Aang grabbed my hand, pulling me down a narrow path into the woods.

"This place is beautiful." I said, my voice echoing on the trees.

"It's even more amazing during the winter, when the snow has just fallen." Aang answered, still pulling me along. He stopped, but I didn't and I ran into his back. He caught me before I could fall, and I blushed.

"Pay attention or you'll end up falling to your death." He said, and I nodded. His face was less than a foot away from mine, and I could see very little detail. This close, I could see the fading freckles on his nose. They were cute.

I could hear water, and looked around. Aang kept his arm on my shoulder as we walked through the trees to a clearing, and I finally saw the river. I could only guess that it was 7 feet across. The water was clear and I could see the bottom, which meant it wasn't very deep. I followed Aang to the bank, and sat down next to him. The water moved by, over some rocks placed at even point across the river.

"Now this, this is amazing." I said quietly. Aang nodded, smiling at me again. I smiled back, feeling butterflies in my stomach. I looked away at the river, seeing that it disappeared into the ground.

"Where does it lead to?" I asked, looking back at Aang. He snapped out of whatever trance he was in, and gave me a lopsided grin.

"I'll show you."


	5. Chapter 5: Voices

_So, I kind of got stuck writing this. I was trying to figure some stuff out, and I missed one to many days of school, so I had make up work to do. :(  
__  
I sure hope you all are paying attention to just about EVERYTHING I am writing in here, because just about everything I write is important. Remember everything. Just warning._

_Oh, and sorry for some spelling errors, even though I LAUGHED so hard. XD_

**Disclaimer: I have a mirgane.**

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Aang led me down the bank, to where the river went into the ground. The ground was about 4 feet up off the top of the water. Aang slipped off his shoes, and waded out into the water. He turned to look at me. I gave him a look.

"It's not cold. This river is caused by a hot spring just up the way that keeps this river pretty warm." He said. I slipped off my shoes and rolled up my jeans. I walked out into the water, hugging myself. I got a little chill as the water rushed against my legs. Aang held out his hand, and I grabbed it. He helped me walk down under the ground, into the cave. I could see, just barely, and the water echoed off the walls. The river was going down into the ground and the roof eventually got to the point where I didn't have bend over anymore. Aang was still holding my hand, leading me through the semi-darkness. There were holes in the ground above us, and light was spilling through.

"Where are we going again?" I asked. Aang looked back at me.

"You'll see when we get there." He said, pulling me along again. I followed along, the feeling of the water going over my legs soothing. Aang stopped walking and turned to me. I cocked my head, looking at him. He smiled, and put his finger to his lips. I put my finger to my lips, and he pulled me again.

We came up on a wide part in the river. But there was something strange about the way it widened out. It wasn't curved like you would expect it to be. It went out into a rectangle shape. The edges were straight, like someone had made them that way. I walked forward, ahead of Aang, and stared at the shape.

"This isn't right." I said, turning around. Aang was right behind me.

"I know. I've been coming here for a while, and I've been trying to figure out why." Aang said, looking around. I turned back around, losing my footing on the rocks. Aang placed his hands on my hips, stabilizing me. I grabbed his arms and leaned back against his chest. He laughed.

"You really have a hard time staying on your own two feet, don't you?" He said softly into my ear. I scoffed.

"I can be graceful at times…" I said, and Aang laughed.

"Sure sure. Whatever you say." He teased me. I moved forward again, keeping my feet flat on the ground. Aang kept his hands on my hips, making sure I didn't fall. I went over to the right side of the pool, and suddenly the ground got harder. I turned to Aang, who was simply watching me.

"I know. It just got harder." He said, moving right next to me. "And look at this." He said.

He bent down, moving the silt away from the ground. About a foot under the silt, there was a concrete slab. He looked up at me, and I shrugged.

"I have no clue what this is." He said. I nodded, wading across the pool to the other side. Aang walked behind me, his hands out to catch me if I were to fall. I crouched down and moved the silt away, and found an identical cement slab. I stood up, grabbing Aang's arm for support.

"What are these doing, way down here?" I asked, and Aang shrugged.

"I'm not sure. But it looks like they have been here a while. The water has eroded away at the etchings in the cement." He moved and placed his finger on the etchings, feeling the writing. "I can't read it. The water is moving too fast."

I watched as the water flowed over the concert slab. I was baffled as to why. The pool should have been calm, the water barely moving. But for some reason, the water was faster here than anywhere else. It seemed to speed up at this point in the river. I could feel the rush on my ankles.

Bending down, I put my hand in the water. I was concentrating, trying to remember how to move water. No one in my family had bended for so long, it seemed to be a lost art. Almost like when you know how to speak a different language, but after a while you forget from not using it. That was how I felt. I moved my hand in the water, trying to get the water to move away from the writing. I put my hand right above the writing, against the flow. I almost lost my concentration as the water went around my hand, leaving a square box in the flowing water over the writing.

Aang crouched down next to me, looking at the etchings. I shut my eyes, trying hard to keep the concentration. It was difficult with Aang so close to me. I opened my eyes to see him staring at the etching. He seemed surprised.

"What?" I said, and he looked at me. I lost my concentration, the water flowing back around my hand. He smiled at me, still looking surprised somehow.

"It's a… date." He said. I tilted my head, not sure what he meant.

"A date, as in like. The date of an event?" He nodded at me. He pulled me up, and helped me walk over to the other slab. I concentrated again, and Aang read the etchings.

"It's the same date." He said. I looked down, and saw it.

May 20th, 1909

I racked my brain, thinking back to 6th grade history. I couldn't remember anything ever happening on that day.

But May 21st, 1909 was the day that the fighting began.

I looked back up at Aang, and he stared back at me. I could see in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing I was.

Something had happened on May 20, 1909. Something that had started this whole long fight, this battle that had been going for almost a century now. I looked out on the pool, my curiosity spiking.

"What do you think happened here?" Aang said, and I turned to look at him again.

My fingers slipped, and the next thing I knew, I was on my back, staring at the ceiling. The water was flowing over me, and I could somehow see everything clearly. Aang was crouching next to me, talking to me. But I couldn't hear him over the water. It was talking to me. I could hear voices, whispering to me in the water. I tried to make out what they were saying to me. I couldn't though, because as soon as I could, they faded away. I got mad, and sat up. Aang was watching me, his eyes trained on my face. I stared at the water, running my hands through it.

"Are you okay?" he asked, placing his hand on my shoulder. I nodded, and then shook my head.

"I swear, I'm going crazy. I just heard voices in the water." I said, and Aang coughed. He was looking at me sideways.

"Voices in the water…?" He asked, wanting to make sure. I nodded.

"Like, they were whispering to me, but when I could almost make out what they were saying, they went away." He tilted his head even more, and I shrugged. "I must sound absolutely crazy." I said, looking down. Aang grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I started to shiver a little as the slight breeze hit my soaking torso. Aang put his arm around my waist, pulling me close.

"I think I need to get you an all terrain wheelchair." He teased me. I glared up at him and he smiled back down at me. We walked back out into the forest. I was shocked to see that it was nearing dark.

"How long were we down there?!" I said, looking around. Aang shrugged, keeping me close. It was very cold, and I was starting to feel numb. Aang handed me my shoes and the picked me up. I squeaked, and he laughed. I didn't protest though. I was too cold, and he was too warm. I snuggled closer, and fell asleep before we got back to his car.

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_If you see any errors, tell me. I have the biggest migrane right now. Gahh, I am going to go watch Lie To Me*.  
Reviews please please please._

Izzzy


	6. Chapter 6: History Lesson

_Sorry for the wait for this chapter. Don't eat me alive, hahah :)._

This isn't going exactly how I was thinking it was going to go, but I am loving where this is going. I hope you do to, and make sure to pay attention to everything.

**Disclaimer: I just bought Jai Ho! off iTunes. :)**

* * *

I woke up in my bed.

I looked around, confused. The last thing I could remember was Aang's smile, and a tingling feeling going through my body. I sat in my bed, looking around. Rain was falling outside my window, and I could hear wind blowing. I got up, pulling a jacket over myself. I walked down to the library, where I grabbed one of my dads many history books. I placed it on the table and walked out into the kitchen. After pouring myself some hot chocolate, I went back into the library, where I got ready to read.

After learning the dates on the cement, I had decided to go over every history book my dad had in out expansive library. I pulled a couple of the older books down and placed them on the table, next to the others I was planning on reading. I found about 20 books, and decided to sit down a read. We had a couple couches in our library, but the most comfortable for sure was the love seat that sat in the corner. It was plush, and soft. I sat down and curled my knees to my chest. I started to read, and soon I was lost in the books.

O.o

Sokka walked into the house, kicking off his shoes. He looked around, the silence deafening. He walked up the stairs to Katara's room, to find an empty bed. He shook his head, and walked down stairs. She wasn't watching T.V or in the bathroom. He opened the library door and saw her sitting in the corner, reading a book.

"What are you reading?" He asked, walking over to her. She looked up, dazed.

"A history book." She answered, turning back down to her book. Sokka picked up on of them, reading the title.

"Why are you reading history books?" He asked. She didn't look up.

"Because." Sokka tilted his head. He shook his head and walked out of the library. Katara kept reading, her finger going over the page. She took a sip of her hot chocolate, her eyes moving over the book. She kept reading. But then, she stopped.

She looked up, then back down at her book. She mouthed the words to herself, a sudden realization going over her. She got up, running up into her room. She got changed, grabbed her car keys, and ran out the door. Sokka shook his head, changing the television station.

O.o

I drove into town, keeping my eyes on the road. I was trying to keep my brain from working overload, but it wasn't working. The Boulevard was packed, seeing as it was lunch time. I cut off onto a side road, trying to remember my way. I traveled down side roads, until I came to a stop out front of my great uncles house. I parked the car, and got out. The dog out front wagged his tail at me. I smiled at Haggly, and opened the gate. I placed my hand on his head, smiling at him. I walked up to the door and knocked. My great aunt answered, and smiled.

"Katara!" she said, hugging me.

"Hi Aunt Gilda." I said, hugging her back. She pulled me inside, calling my uncle.

"So what brings you here?" Gilda asked, sitting down on the couch. I sat down on the opposite couch.

"I actually came to talk to Inshi about something." I said, and Gilda looked at me.

"May I ask what about?" She asked. I looked down at the book in my hand.

"Well, it's sort of about his mom, my great grandma." I said, and I could see the wheels turning in Gilda's head. Inshi walked in the room, a smile on his face.

"Hello Katara." He said. I got up and gave him a hug.

"Hello Inshi. How are you?" He shrugged.

"I'm alright." He said, sitting down. Gilda got up and went into the kitchen. I could smell her famous apple pie cooking.

"So what's up sweetie?" He asked, and I placed the book in my lap.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about your mom." I said, and he sighed.

"What brings this on?" he asked, looking at me quizzically. I handed him the book, and he sighed.

"All you need to know is in that book. I can't tell you any more or less." He got up, leading me into his study. He had pictures, books, and numerous trinkets stashed in there. I looked around, running my finger over the mantle of the fireplace.

"You have to know more. You were 9 when your mom disappeared, you have to know more." I pressed. He shook his head.

"All I can say is one night, my mother disappeared. I fell asleep one night, my mother in her bed. The next morning I walk in to see my dad laying there, my mom not in her bed. My dad was depressed for the longest time. He became detached. My older brother, your grandpa, was forced to be our parent. They never found her, nor did they ever get any leads. It was a cold case." He said, passing me a newspaper article. I read it over, looking at the picture of my great grandma. She was a stunning lady, her blue eyes amazing even in black and white. Her hair was long, just like mine, and her face was prefect. I smiled.

"She is beautiful." I said, looking at the picture. I looked at the bottom of the article, and read something that caught my eye.

"Where is the rest of this article?" I asked, and Inshi handed me the other part. I read the rest of the article, and looked back at Inshi.

"Cashen Zephin disappeared on the same day?" I asked, and Inshi nodded.

"I found it quite mysterious. My dad said nothing of it though. He shook his head and said it didn't matter. That was another cold case. No one could find any leads on that either." He said. I nodded, looking at the pictures on the wall. I saw one of Hilshi, my great grandma. She was standing next to Cashen Zephin.

"Wait, they were friends?" I asked. I pulled down the picture, handing it to Inshi. He nodded.

"We all were. I can still remember the numerous nights I spent at their house. Our families were extremely close. There was no fighting back then, and we all had our bending. My mom and Cashen had been best friends since childhood. They were close, closer than any friends I had ever seen. They went through everything together, and when they disappeared it was strange." Inshi grabbed a picture of a barbeque. It looked as though it was a cook out in my back yard, and the Zephins were there.

"Even at the age of 7 I could see the jealousy in my father's eyes when Cashen and mom had a good laugh, or finished each others sentences. I could also see it in Cashen's wife's eyes. But I was just seven, and I didn't know much." He said.

I nodded, looking at another picture of Hilshi and Cashen. They were sitting next to the pool, the sun spilling over their heads. Hilshi was laughing at someone off to the side, a huge smile on her face. Her eyes were slightly squinted, and her hand was slapping her knee. Cashen was pointing at someone off to the side, probably what Hilshi was laughing at. He had on a pair of sunglasses, and his grin was huge. I could see his teeth. He was sitting facing Hilshi, and their legs were touching. I could see the closeness between them just from the picture. I smiled. I felt warm inside.

"This is cute." I said, tracing the outline of Hilshi. Inshi nodded.

"It's my most prized possession. It shows a good time in this town's history." He smiled, patting my back. I walked out of the study, still holding the picture.

"See, you knew more than this history book could tell me." I joked, and Inshi laughed.

"Pies done!" Gilda said from the kitchen. I bounded into the kitchen, ready for some mouth watering apple pie.

After two pieces of apple pie, I got back in my car. I still had the picture in my hand, along with the newspaper clipping. I placed them in the other seat and started the car. I started back towards the Boulevard, thinking about what I had just learned. Right as I was about to turn to go home, I changed my mind. Instead, I turned right, heading north into town.

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_So, I'm hoping all of this isn't to like... easy go guess haha. I try to do a little less of the whole foreshadowing. :) Reviews please. I'm going bowling._


	7. Chapter 7: Hospital

_You guys are so lucky I threw up last night, or this chapter wouldn't be put up until this afternoon. Hehe. Sorry it's late and all. I've beenn mucho mucho busy with school. But YAY for spring break and all haha._

**Disclaimer: I'm watching Bo Burnham tonight on Comedy Central. :)**

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The two oldest people in our town were probably the only way to get the straight story about what had happened 100 years ago. Inshi was 109, and he was still going strong. Gilda was 85. She hadn't been alive during the time of mystery. The other oldest person was Jelni Zephin. She was 109 also, but was not as healthy as Inshi. She was Cashen's only daughter. She and Inshi had been good friends when their parents disappeared. But afterwards, they had not been allowed to see each other. The fighting was so bad, they had both been sent off to boarding schools in different countries. My dad said that it was probably a good thing.

I pulled up to the only hospital in our town, and walked inside. I had brought with me everything that Inshi had given me. The nurse nodded at me as I passed her, and I found Jelni's name on the board of patients. She was in one of the long use rooms, up on the third floor. I got in the elevator, pressing the third floor button. When I got out of the elevator, I looked for room 390. It was at the end of a long hallway, and the door was open. I walked in, to see Jelni sitting in her bed reading a book. She had a bandana on her head, and her hair was braided. She looked up at me, and I wasn't surprised to see her eyes were the exact color of Aangs. She put her book down, and studied me.

"Now, I've been around the bush, if you know what I mean. And the only person in the whole world who has those eyes was Inshi Heken. So, excuse me if I'm wrong, but you must be one of his relatives." She said, eyeing me. I nodded, not finding my voice. I was afraid she would kick me out, as I was part of the reason she was sent away. She was still eyeing me, her expression one of curiosity.

"Well, are you just going to stand there?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"Actually, ma'am, I came to ask you a couple questions." I said, moving towards the chair in the corner. She sat up a little, putting her book down on her night stand.

"You can sit over here." She said, pointing to the chair next to her bed. I sat down in it, and placed all of my trinkets in my lap.

"Well, what do you want to know?" She asked, her guard still not let down.

I picked up the picture and handed it to her. She let out a little sigh, and grabbed her glasses. She looked at the picture, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes went over her father, and then Hilshi.

"Where did you get this?" She asked, looking at me.

"Inshi gave it to me." I said, watching her reaction. Her expression softened. She ran a finger over the picture, just like I had.

"Why do you want it?" She said, looking at me from over her glasses.

"I was reading some history books that my dad has in our library, and I started to read this book on the disappearance of Cashen and Hilshi, and I was sort of intrigued by the date of their disappearance." I said, trying to explain, but not explain. I didn't want to tell her about the dates in concert in the river. She tilted her head at me.

"What do you mean, the 'dates of their disappearance intrigued' you?" She asked. I let out a sigh.

"I was just interested in what happened." I said, moving my feet over the ground. Jelni ran her fingers over the picture again.

"If you talked to Inshi, you already know as much as you can." She said, handing me back the picture. Her grey eyes moved over my face, and a smile appeared.

"You don't have to look scared honey. I'm not going to pull out a gun and shoot you." She said to me, patting me on the head. I smiled a little, an uneasy feeling still in my stomach.

"I know I can be a little mean, but I'm just a cooped up old lady, who hasn't seen the sun in a very long time. And I'd probably feel much better if I had my bending, but what can I do?" Jelni trailed off, looking at me again. I smiled, and got up. I walked over to the window and pulled open the curtain. The sun was shining right in the window, and I squinted at how bright it was. The rain clouds from the previous night were gone, but the ground was still wet in places. I opened up the window, and a light breeze filled the room. I heard Jelni take in a deep breath, and then she sighed. I turned around to see her eyes shut, and her face being basked in sunlight. I sat back down and she opened her eyes. A huge smile spread over her face.

"That feels so good." She whispered, taking in deep breaths. She sat like that for a minute, taking in deep breaths.

"You are probably the only person to have walked in here and listen to me." She said, patting my head again. I smiled, feeling pretty good. "I'll tell you what. How about I start at the beginning and tell you what I remember. I bet Inshi remembers more than I do, but at least you'll have my families side of what happened, huh?" She said, and I smiled.

"I'd like that." I said.

O.o

I spent a good 4 hours with Jelni. She told me what happened and all that she could remember about Cashen's and Hilshi's relationship. She told me about the fights she had heard her parents get into, and about the fights Inshi had told her about. After four hours, my brain was buzzing. I left after giving her a hug. I got back in my car and sat there for a second. I let everything sink in. I drove home slowly, taking my time. I knew I was going to come home to my dad anger, wondering where I had traveled off too. But I was fine with it. When I parked the car, Sokka walked out of the house. I jumped up on the porch, and he shook his head at me.

"Dad is sort of freaked." He said. I shrugged.

"So what?" I said. I walked into the house, and my dad was waiting for me.

"Katara, where were you?" He asked, looking me up and down.

"I was at Inshi's house." I said. My dad's expression failed, and he looked surprised.

"Inshi's house? Great Uncle Inshi?" He said, and I nodded.

"Yeah, what other Inshi do we know?" I snapped at him, walking up the stairs to my room. I sat down on my bed, placing the picture on my nightstand. I looked at it, and sighed. It was such an amazing picture. I wasn't able to imagine a time where this would happen. The Zephins and the Hekens at the same place, not fighting, getting along, and laughing together. It was hard, but as I laid there staring at my ceiling I could get a clearer picture. I rolled over, and looked at the picture again. My cell phone rang and I jumped. I looked down at it, and read my text from Suki. She was freaking out about school the next day. I stopped.

School?

I had totally forgotten that school was the next day. I got up, kicking myself as I went into my closet. After spending the previous day with Aang, and then today I had completely forgotten that tomorrow was Tuesday. It was some tradition that after the Highmans ball, the next Monday was a day off. No one went to school. I looked at my clock and saw that I had enough time to do my homework. I sat down; still kicking myself for forgetting that school was the next day.

I spent the whole night doing my homework and doing laundry. I went to bed at 11, and fell asleep immediately. I woke up tired, and had to pull myself to school. It was when I got there that my day got exciting.

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_So, if I got reviews, I'd feel pretty good if I got some reviews. (:_


	8. Chapter 8: Author Notes, kinda

I would like to thank CyclonePsycho for noticing my biggest mistake EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe others noticed it.

I had already introduced Toph into the story, and then I introduced her again as a new character.

I am smacking myself so hard. Oh my gosh, I feel re-tarded.

I shall be changing the 8th chapter, now.

For those who haven't read the 8th chapter yet, do not worry.

It will be up, as soon as I do my English.

Promise.


	9. Chapter 9: Relization

_Ha, so basically, I did this chapter and I introduced Toph as a new character, like Katara didn't know her, but then a reviewer told me that I kind of messed up in a nice way. :) Oh jeeze, I've never felt more stupid. ^__^ Anywho, here this is again, a little different. Just a little._

* * *

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Ma'am, calm down. She is going to be okay. She suffered one gun shot to the arm, and one contusion on the head from falling down a flight of stairs. I'm putting her on medication for the pain she is going to be in when she wakes up. The best thing for her right now is to just stay calm and be quite."

I wanted to move my hand, to hold my head. I couldn't move my hand though. Then I felt a slight wave go through me, and I relaxed a bit. A steady beep echoed through my head, and I fell asleep.

-Two Hours Later-

My head was groggy, my body was heavy. I tried to move my arm, to get the huge weight off it. But then I remembered it was broken. My other hand was being held. I didn't try to move it. Whoever was holding it was running their thumb over my palm. I dozed off and on, going in and out of consciousness. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw Aang sitting next to my bed. He was holding my hand. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. My mom sighed and kissed my forehead, but I didn't move my eyes away from Aang's face. He wanted to say something, but he was holding his tongue.

"Katara, you're awake!" My mom exclaimed. I winced as she bent over my broken arm, and she stood up fast.

"I'm sorry honey. I'm just so glad you are awake." She said, patting my head. I shut my eyes, squeezing Aang's hand. He squeezed back, and I smiled to myself. I heard my dad calling my mom, and she disappeared. Aang waited until she was completely out of sight, then leaned up and kissed my forehead.

"I'm sorry about this." He said, holding my hand with the delicately of a glass flower.

"Why? You didn't do this." I said. He shook his head.

"My dad had this ordered. He heard about you visiting his mom, and he flipped out. He sent some of our cousins to raid your school. There was a shoot out, don't you remember?" I shook my head. Aang went on.

"Well, Sokka injuries aren't life threatening, and your dad isn't very happy to see me here. I'm not leaving." He said. I smiled up at him.

"Thanks." I shut my eyes, listening to the sounds of the hospital.

"I want to get away from all of this." Aang said, running his finger over the palm of my hand. "I need to get out of here." He whispered, and I nodded.

"I'd love to go on a vacation, and leave the fighting." I whispered back. I opened my eyes, and looked at Aang. I tilted my head, and he raised his eyebrow.

"Really?" He asked, answering my silent question. I nodded, and a smiled played on his lips. I sat up, holding my broken arm. Aang looked at me.

"Not right now!" He said. I shook my head.

"Yes, right now." I whispered, calling over a doctor.

"I want to check out, please." I said. He nodded, and handed me the release forms. I signed, and slipped off the bed. Aang stood up, and grabbed my backpack.

"Where are we going to go?" He whispered, following me out the door to the parking lot. I walked over to Aang's car, and got in. Aang slid in, placing my backpack in the back seat. He started up the car, and drove out onto the street. I looked down at the bottle of pain medication the doctor had given me. I took one, and sat back in the seat.

"So, where are we going?" Aang asked, pulling out onto the Boulevard. I looked at him, and thought for a second.

"Somewhere far away from here." I said. Aang nodded, and got onto the freeway. I shut my eyes, and fell back asleep.

O.o

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. I also woke up warm.

I rolled over and opened my eyes. I was instantly blinded by the sun streaming through the window. I covered my eyes with my good arm and sat up. I was in a cabin, and I was damn sure of it. I stood up and walked over to the dresser. My phone, iPod, and the picture of Cashen and Hilshi were all sitting there, along with my tooth brush and hair brush. I opened the drawers and found my clothes. I walked out of the bedroom, and down the little hall way. I ended up out on the front porch, looking at the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. The sun was coming up, over the lake in front of me. The colors were spectacular, like stuff you see in movies. But the best part of it was standing right in front of me.

I walked down the steps, holding my broken arm. I sat down on the ground next to Aang, and looked up at his face. He was meditating, his face calm and relaxed. I shut my eyes, letting the warm sun light wash over my face. I lay back on the grass, holding my broken arm over my eyes. Aang chuckled, and I looked at him. He shook his head, lying back on the grass next to me.

"What?" I asked. He shook his head again, and propped himself up on his arm. He looked down at me and smiled.

"You look really funny right now." He ran his fingers over my cast. I shut my eyes and listened to Aang's breathing. I heard him get up, and I opened my eyes just in time to see Aang pick me up. He carried me back into the cabin, placing me down at the kitchen table. He sat down across from me, handing me a glass of water and my pain medication.

"So, what do we do now?" Aang asked. I already knew the answer. I had been thinking about it for a day.

"We figure out the mystery."

Aang tilted his head.

"What mystery?" He asked, peeling a banana.

"The reason we all lost our powers." I said. Aang smiled.

"Well, I think you should see something." He said, walking over to the sink. He picked up the pepper shaker, and dropped some of it on the table. He sat back down, and moved his hand above the pepper. I watched as the pepper swirled around in a bubble of air. I looked at Aang's face. He was smiling at me, as if nothing was wrong.

"Yeah, you can do it. No one else can!" I said, moving my finger around the rim of my water glass. Aang's face suddenly went smug, and I looked at my glass of water. The water was following my finger.

"You can too." He said. I scowled at him, placing my hand back down on the table.

"Well, we can. But no one else can. And that is what I want to figure out." I said. He shrugged.

"How are we going to be able to figure that out?" He said. I shrugged.

"I don't know, but I think we can." I got up, walking into my bedroom. I grabbed the history book I had taken from my dad's library, and placed it down in front of Aang. He read the cover.

"What does the disappearance of our grand parents have to do with anything?" He said, looking through the papers I had stashed in there.

"I don't know, but I have a deep feeling that it plays a huge part." I said. Aang was reading the chapters I had marked. We sat there in silence for a while, while Aang read. I tapped my cast, feeling the hard mesh. I looked at the writing my mother had written. I read it, admiring her beautiful hand writing.

"So, you think that this is the answer?" He asked. I nodded.

"I'm pretty sure this is." I said back, smiling at him. He smiled back. I looked at the clock, noticing the time.

After making lunch, we sat out on the dock, going through the book and the information I had got from Jelni and Inshi. We wrote stuff down and made note of what popped out at us. After a while, stuff was adding up, but one thing didn't make sense.

Where had Cashen and Hilshi gone?

I looked over everything, laid back on the dock and wracked my brain. It didn't make any sense to me. And Aang was having the same dilemma. We looked at each other, trying to figure it out.

"This doesn't make sense." Aang said. I sat up, and moved the papers around with my one hand.

"Well, we have a time line. Cashen and Hilshi were best friends since child hood, having grown up practically in each others houses. When they got older, they each married, and had kids. And they spent most of their time at each others houses, letting their kids get close like they had. And then, on May 20th, they disappeared off the face of the earth. No one knew, no one saw it coming. The next day, our families got together to talk it out, try to figure it out. Instead, they blamed each other and started to fight." I explained, running my fingers over the book.

"Don't forget that Hilshi was seven months pregnant." Aang said. I stared at him.

"Wait, what?" I asked, not knowing that.

"I didn't tell you?" He said, and I shook my head.

"No!" I said, freaking out.

I looked at the book, and remembering the stuff Jelni had told me.

"But, if you go back about 8 months, Jelni told me that Hilshi's husband was on a business trip." I said, moving over next to Aang. He nodded, sitting up.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked. I nodded.

"And are you thinking what I'm also thinking?" I said, and he nodded.

"Let's go."

o.O

Aang carried me down the river, seeing as I could barely walk. As Aang walked, we came across a girl, who was earth bending her way down the river. I recognized her immediately.

"Toph?!" I said, and Aang set me down. She turned to us, and a smile broke on her face. She walked over to me, giving me one of her big hugs. I hugged her back, happy to see her.

"What are you thinking, running away right after an attack?" She questioned, her face worried. Her eyes were searching mine, but all I could do was smile. I was so happy to see her.

"I'm so happy to see you Toph." I said again, and she frowned.

"Katara, will you answer my question." She pressed. I sighed.

"Toph, I… it's hard to explain." I said. She cocked her eyebrow, giving me a look. She looked past me, at Aang. Her face was apprehensive, but I could see the understanding. I had no clue of what though…

She moved around me, looking Aang straight in the eyes. He didn't flinch, nor did he show any sign that he was scared or intimidated by Toph. She had that affect on people.

"Hi. I'm Toph." She said, holding out her hand. I was shocked. Aang shook her hand, smiling.

"I'm Aang." He said. Toph nodded. She already knew that.

"Toph, what are you doing down here?" I asked, and she turned around.

"I can ask you that same question." She said. She was feeling the ground, I knew it. She was monitoring my emotions.

"We have some… stuff that we need to do." Aang said. Toph tilted her head.

"Well, my mom kicked me out… so I'm hiding out down here while she cools down." Toph said. I laughed. I moved down the river, coming to the pool.

"Whoa." Toph whispered. Aang walked up next to me, shrugging.

"Which side?" He said. I shook my head.

"Does it matter?" I said. Aang shook his head.

"I guess it doesn't."

Toph became our savor as we tried to lift the concert. She used her extraordinary earth bending to lift it, playing with it like a cat would a mouse. She had stopped the water flow with a wall, and now I sat on the dirt, watching Aang lift the box out of the ground. He placed it back on the ground, and looked at me. I didn't want to move. I knew that no matter what, it wasn't going to be a pretty sight. I turned my head away as they opened it, but the smell got to me. I threw up, Aang by my side instantly. I heard the box close, and Toph sat next to me. Her hand went to my temple. She rubbed it, knowing that I hated to throw up. I spat out what was left in my mouth, disgusted. Nobody moved.

"It was Cashen." Aang whispered in my ear. I let my head fall, spitting.

"What's going on here?" Toph asked quietly. I looked at her, then at Aang. He tilted his head, and helped me up. Toph followed.

"We'll tell you on the way."

O.o

I sat at the cabin table, picking pomegranate seeds out of the pomegranate. I was a little nauseous from earlier. Toph and Aang were outside, and Toph was showing him her earth bending. Every once in a while he would pop his head in the cabin door, to see if I was okay. I would nod every time, and he would jump back outside. I was looking over the book again, and piecing together the time line. It was strange, and nothing fit. I had a theory, but I wasn't sure.

"You doing okay?" Aang asked again, this time sitting down at the table. I smiled again.

"I'm the same as I was 5 minutes ago." I said, and he laughed.

"Just making sure. Toph left; said she had to go to her Dads work." Aang said, watching me look over the book again.

"When are you going to stop obsessing over this?" He asked, trying to get the book away from me. I scowled at him, and he laughed. I put my broken arm on the book, and he frowned. He wouldn't touch my arm, and I knew that.

"You play dirty." He said. I cocked an eyebrow.

"That's the girls way of play." I whispered back. I got up, taking the book with me. I walked into my bedroom, and placed it on my bed. I giggled as Aang picked me up from behind. He spun me around, and placed me back down. I looked up at him, and his eyes captivated me. He smiled turning and walking out the door. I stood there for a second, still awestruck. I looked out at the road, watching the cars drive by. As I watched, I saw a familiar one. I got up, watching as the car slowed down. Practically jogging, I found Aang sitting on the couch.

"We have to go." I said. Aang stood up, moving down the hallway. I walked down the hallway to my room, and found my bag already packed. I picked it up, and grabbed the book. I followed Aang down the hall, and jumped in the car. It was already running, and Aang peeled out.

"Who was it?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.

"My dads goonie." I answered. Aang nodded, and drove down the costal highway. I had no clue where we were going. Aang kept driving, moving fast. I looked out the window, my mind reeling.

I couldn't help but wonder how my family was. I also wondered how Aang's family was. I could only assume that they were fighting, blaming each other for us running away. I looked at my hands, and wondered if anyone in my family was hurt.

O.o

"God damnit!" my dad yelled. I flinched, and turned up the television.

"Sokka, turn that down!" He yelled at me, and I flinched again.

"I'd turn it down if you stopped yelling." I said. I got up, grabbing my crutches. My broken leg was hurting me again, and I went into the kitchen to get my medication. My mom kissed my head as I sat down, and I looked at her. She was looking out the kitchen window, her face tense. I knew she was worrying about Katara. Everyone was.

"Mom, do you think she's okay?" I asked, wondering how she felt. She shook her head, sitting down. I could tell she was holding back tears.

"I… I hope she is. I know that the Zephin boy won't hurt her. The way he looks at her, I don't think he could. I just hope that his dad doesn't send someone to hurt her. That is my only fear." She mumbled into her hands. I could see the tears trying to burst through.

"Then why are you about to cry?" I asked. She looked up at me.

"Because she was already injured, and she could get injured again." Mom said. I reached across the table and took her hand.

"But like you said. She is with the Zephin boy, and he won't hurt her. And I doubt he would let anyone." I reassured her. She smiled at me, nodding.

"I hope you're right."

* * *

_I am going to be working on the next chapter. I have some good ideas, and I already know how the epilouge is going to go. I got the idea while eating potatoes. Buhaah. Review por favor._


	10. Chapter 10: To Love Thy Enemy

_So, I owuld like to clarify one, well a couple things, I think.  
1. Katara didn't really break her whole arm, just her forearm. Abover her wrist.  
2. I just now figured out that in this story, It's been seven days since Aang and Katar have met.  
Yeah._

**Disclaimer: My phone is dead, but Kataang isn't;)**

* * *

The car stopped, and I woke up. I looked over at Aang, and saw his eyes drooping. He looked like he was about to fall asleep. I sat up and touched his shoulder.

"Aang, maybe we should stop for the night." I whispered. Aang nodded, giving the car gas and heading down the road to a hotel. Aang parked, and I got out.

"Stay." I said to him, and he nodded. I walked into the lobby, going up to the desk. I rang the bell, and the desk clerk came around.

"Hello. Would you like to check in?" She asked, smiling at me.

"Yes. Do you have a double room?" I asked, watching as she checked the computer. She shook her head, looking.

"The only room we have left is a single." She said, giving me that "I'm sorry" smile. I was about to speak when someone else did for me.

"We'll take it." Aang said, coming up behind me. The lady got a devious smile on her face. She looked at me, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. A blush rose on my face, and I felt Aang's arm go around my waist. I paid, handing the lady twenties, and she handed me the keys.

"I'll get our bags." Aang whispered in my ear. I gave him one key, and got into the elevator. I hit the button for the 12th floor, and leaned against the railing. My arm was hurting me, and I was in need of some good sleep. The elevator came to a stop, and the door opened. I got out, finding my room. I unlocked the door, and walked inside. It was a big room for only having one bed. I sat down on the sofa, looking at the huge television placed across from it. The door unlocked again, and Aang set my suit case inside. I got up and grabbed my bag. He shut the door behind him, placing his suit case on the right side of the bed. I grabbed my medication and took another pill, lying on the couch. Aang sat down on the floor next to my head, looking at my face.

"You look tired." He whispered. I shrugged.

"I've kind of had less than 13 hours of sleep in 48 hours. I'd hope I look tired." I said sarcastically. Aang looked away, picking up the television remote. He turned it on, looking through the channels. I moved forward, laying my head on Aang's shoulder. He reached up and placed his palm on my cheek.

"I think you should get in bed." He said. I shook my head.

"You take the bed. You most certainly haven't gotten good sleep lately." I argued, but Aang wasn't having it. He lifted me off the couch, and placed me on the bed. I was about to get up, but he pushed me back down by my shoulders. I looked up at him, and he smiled.

"Go to sleep." He said, holding me down. I squirmed, wanting to get up. I looked up at him, and he smirked.

"I'm not going to bed unless you do." I said. He tilted his eyebrow.

"You play dirty." He said. I stuck my tongue out at him. He got on the bed, rolling over me. I rolled off, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I laughed as I feel against his chest.

"You're going to bed." He whispered in my ear. I felt chills go down my spine.

"I'm going to change into my pajamas." I said back, undoing his grip on my waist. He chuckled. I grabbed my clothes from my suit case and changed in the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, and saw what Aang saw. I looked sleep deprived, and kind of crazy. I brushed my hair, putting it up in a pony tail. I needed to take a shower, but it would be hard with my cast. I walked out of the bathroom to see Aang lying in the bed, his shirt off. I almost tripped over my own feet when I saw his upper torso. It was chiseled, perfect. I sat down on the bed, only to be pulled gently down next to Aang. I rolled over, my heart skipping a beat at his smile.

I moved my pillow to a more comfortable position, and rolled onto my stomach. Aang kept his arm around my waist, keeping me close to his body. We didn't pull the blankets up; we were keeping each other warm. I shut my eyes, letting Aang's breathing lull me to sleep.

O.o

I rolled over, expecting to roll into Aang. But I didn't. I opened my eyes, just seeing a wall. I rolled over, and saw Aang sitting on the couch. He smiled at me, patting the spot next to him. I got up, stretching. I staggered over to the couch, and sat down. He wrapped his arm around my waist again, and I laid my head against his shoulder, shutting my eyes. I could feel him smiling.

"It's 4 in the afternoon." He said, and I looked up at him. He nodded, kissing my forehead again. I smiled, burying my face in his neck. He laughed, wrapping both of his arms about me. I pulled him closer, sighing. It felt so right to just sit there, my arm around him.

"You talk in your sleep." Aang said, and I giggled a little. I yawned, snuggling closer to him.

"I want to go back to sleep." I said, and Aang picked me up. He placed me in the bed, and lay next to me. I curled back into his chest, and fell back to sleep.

(Aang's P.O.V)

Katara's eyes shut, and I watched as a smile formed on her lips. I smiled, wrapping my arms around her tighter. I didn't want to let her go. I shut my eyes, thinking. I was going to do something amazing for her. My dad hadn't frozen my bank account yet, so I had money. I lay there, thinking about what I could do when her phone rang. I grabbed it and picked it up before it could wake her.

"Hello?" I whispered. There was breathing on the opposite end.

"Katara?" A male voice said. I stalled, thinking of what to say.

"Um, she is asleep right now. May I ask whose calling?" I asked. Katara stirred a little, but she was only snuggling closer to me. I felt heat on my cheeks.

"Well, could you wake her? It's four in the afternoon." He snapped at me. I rolled my eyes, looking down at Katara again. I didn't want to wake her.

"Actually, no. I can't wake her up. Who is this?" I asked again.

"I'm her brother; I think I have the right to talk to her." He snapped at me. I almost ended the call.

"Well, I think she needs some sleep. I'm sorry, but I'm not waking her." I said my voice cold. I heard him breathe in deeply.

"This is Aang, isn't it?" He asked me.

"Yes. It is." I heard him sigh, and I waited.

"Listen, I need to tell her something. Something important." He said to me. I tilted my head.

"Just tell me." A pause, and then he spoke.

O.o

Katara stirred in my arms, and I looked down. She was smiling, probably dreaming, and she had her fingers locked around my torso. I shut my eyes, listening to the rain outside. It had been raining for four hours, non stop. The rain was pounding, the sound amazing.

"Mm, Aang?" Katara whispered. I looked down, and smiled. Her eyes were shining, from all of her sleep. She listened to the rain for a minute, her eyes not moving from mine. I smiled and kissed her nose. I saw a flash go across the room, and I looked out the window just in time to see lightening. Katara sat up on the edge of the bed, opening the shade. Rain was battering the window, the drops continually running down the glass. I sat next to her, watching the lightening. I could hear thunder off in the distance, and pulled Katara closer. I turned to look at the clock, when a surge of electricity lit up our room, then went out.

"Crap." I mumbled. I reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out the flash light. I pointed it towards the cabinet opposite from the bed. Katara opened the doors, and pulled out some big candles.

"I'll light a couple of these." Katara mumbled. I grabbed one, placing it on my side of the bed. I lit it with a match, and it lit one corner of the room. I turned to see Katara lighting one on her side of the bed. She sat back down, looking at me. I smiled at her, and shut off the flash light. Lying down on the bed, I contemplated. I felt Katara's hands on my back, her lips next to my ear.

"This is kind of romantic." She whispered. I turned over, wrapping my arms around her. I pulled her down to my side.

"Your brother called while you were asleep." I said, and she froze. She sat up and looked down at me.

"What did he say?" She questioned. I almost smiled.

"He told me, to tell you, to not come home." I said, and she smiled.

"I already knew that." She said, her fingers running circles over my chest.

"Well, he said to tell you, no matter what, don't come home." I said, emphasizing the no matter what. She tilted her head, a quizzical look on her face.

"Did he say why?" She asked the right question.

"He said, and I quote: 'Tell her no matter what, if you are being dragged, if I say to come home, don't. Not unless you have the answer to the mystery you told Toph about.' And then he hung up." I said, and Katara shook her head.

"He's telling me that the only way my dad will accept me coming home is if I'm dead. Because right now, I'm dead to him." Katara said, looking deeply into my eyes. I shrugged.

"I bet my dad would like to see me dead too." I whispered, and Katara cupped my face.

"They don't matter. And that is why we are here. Because they don't matter." She said, kissing my face. I pulled her to me, felling as though I could fly. She snuggled close to me, her head resting on my chest. She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair, and sighed.

"I need to take a shower." She said, her lips pouted. She got up and walked into the bathroom, turning on the sink. I heard water, and got up. She was standing next to the sink, watching the water drain down the drain.

"I guess the water works even when the power is out." She observed, grabbing the edge of the door and pushing it closed. I walked over to the bed and sat down, listening to the rain and the shower.

(Katara's P.O.V)

I let the warm water wash over me. It felt good to get clean. I washed my hair, reveling in the feeling. I scratched my scalp, my skin itchy. I washed my arm as close as I could to my cast, without getting it wet. It was a difficult thing to do.

I stepped out, grabbing my towel. I wrapped myself up, whipping off the mirror. I looked at my wet face, sighing. I felt like a new person. I let the towel drop as I, difficultly, braided my hair. I smiled as I finished, and pulled the towel back around myself. I unlocked the door and walked out. Aang was laying sitting on the bed, facing the window. I got up on the bed and wrapped my arms around him from behind.

"How was your shower?" He asked me, looking up at my face. I smiled at him, and kissed his face. He wrapped his arms around my back, twisting so he was facing me. A week of flirting, and I was making out with a guy. I felt like a whore, but at the same time, it felt so right to be kissing him. He pushed me back on the bed, propping himself up on his hand and knees. I found my tongue in his mouth, and a groaned escaped his throat. I didn't know when this had happened, this burning desire I could feel radiating off of Aang, but I was sure it was radiating off of me too. The thunder rolled outside, lightening flashing three times in a row. Aang broke the kiss, looking down at me. His eyes were burning, his hands on my sides. I had his neck, wanting to pull his face back down.

"Are you sure?" He asked. I pulled his face back down to mine, crashing my lips on his. I could feel the passion, the building intensity.

"Yes." I breathed. His lips found my neck, and the night began.

* * *

_Mm, adult themes. It's like Sex Ed all over again LOL.  
I cut it off there because, even though it's rated M, I felt like it was long enough. I'll be updating soon. Haha._

Reviews please? It's Spring Break. I get reviews and all of this free time goes to good use haha.


	11. Chapter 11: Stars

_For those of you, who wanted a sex scene, haha, well..... Sorry. I did have something leading up, but no smut. I wasn't in the mood to write it. So, sorry. And i need to apologize for not writing as long as a chapter. I am, however, happy as to where this is going._

**Disclaimer: I got a scarf in SanFran today.**

* * *

I knew what was happening, I knew what was next. But for some reason, I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop myself from moaning as the feeling overwhelmed me. I couldn't stop my body from reacting the way it was. My hands had found their way into his hair; my legs were locked around his waist. His lips were attached to my neck, and his hands were roaming, going over my bare body. I had stripped him of his clothes in seconds. My fingers had traced circles over his chest, back, arms, and legs. I was enthralled by his scent, the feeling of him. I gasped as I came back to reality, the lightening lighting up the room. Aang was running his hand up my leg, his fingers sending chills down my body.

"Aang." I moaned, and he looked into my eyes. I saw the passion, the need to have this. It was overwhelming, exciting, scary, romantic, and hot all at once. He bent his head down and kissed me, all of his feeling pouring into the kiss. I kissed him back, my hands acting on their own accord. I didn't try to stop them, and that was what scared me the most.

How right this felt, how fast my heart was going.

I was scared, but only about what I was going to feel when this was over. What was going to happen to us, what we were going to do? We had run away to get away from our families, and instead our families were going to get the better of us, whether we liked it or not Somehow I could sense, this was going to come back to us. It was going to cause so much pain, and misery. But, that wasn't stopping me. I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about the man running his fingers down my stomach, his eyes mesmerized. I pulled his face back up to mine, kissing him again. This was softer, more caring. I sat up, finding my way into his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing my body against his. I moaned.

"Katara, this is going to sound…. silly, absurd, and rushed." He whispered, placing kisses down my face. I arched my neck, his lips gracing my skin. "This is going to sound, well. I'm not sure." He looked at me, and I already knew what he was going to say. I didn't need to hear it.

"Me too." I whispered, pushing him back on the bed. He looked up at me, his hands pushing back my hair. My broken arm seemed to be all but forgotten as I propped myself up. Aang's hand found my breasts in the darkness, and I gasped. As this went on, I was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. He was smirking, his hands massaging them. I arched my back, trying to not make any sounds. But so many weird breaths escaped my mouth, causing me to let myself fall on his chest. I could hear his heart beat, the sound loud in my ear. He ran his fingers up and down my back, sending shivers down my spine. He smiled, rolling over. I looked up into his eyes, finding myself at home there. I was content, the way we were right now. His eyes were a question, and I answered with a kiss. That was all he needed, and he lowered himself down.

O.o

I was on cloud nine when I woke up. Outside, the raining had continued, but the lightning and thunder had ceased. The power was still out, and the candles were still burning next to the bed. But the icing on the cake, the reason I was on cloud nine, was lying right next to me, his arms wrapped around my waist. The night's events were still fresh in my mind, the smell on my skin. It would have been obvious to anyone who saw. I heard him yawn and rolled over. He was waking up, his face lit up by the candle behind my head. He smiled at me.

"You look beautiful." He whispered. I smiled back, finding myself too mesmerized to speak. He pulled her to him again. I let my head rest on his chest, my heart pounding.

"You're so beautiful." He said, and I laughed.

"I think I'd know by now, with you telling me every 15 seconds." I said, and he grinned.

"Well, I just wanted you to know." He said, his lips connecting with my ear. I sighed, content and happy.

"And you are perfect." I whispered. He hmmed to himself, face buried in my neck.

"That's a new one."

O.o

(Third Person)

Sokka walked down the steps, following his mother into the living room. There, on their couch, sat Pape Zephin, his face stone cold. He was staring Hakoda in the eyes and Kaya left the room immediately. Sokka sat down next to his father, and Pape stared.

"Do you know where they are?" Pape asked, his hands moving to his lap. His eyes were a dark grey, almost black, and at the moment a storm was brewing in them. Hakoda shook his head, but Sokka spoke.

"I called Katara the other night and Aang answered. He said she was asleep, and he didn't want to wake her." Sokka looked at Pape, seeing little resemblance to Aang. Pape looked at Sokka, sizing him up.

"Are you sure she wasn't making him answer?" Pape questioned, and Sokka scoffed.

"I could hear her in the background. Her slight snoring, but it's not snoring." Sokka said. Pape wasn't convinced.

"You didn't put her up to this did you?"

"I would NEVER!" Hakoda practically yelled.

"How do I know?"

"Well, why would I want to do that?"

"Because you want revenge."

"I wouldn't have my daughter do that! That is stupid."

"Mm, even more likely."

Hakoda looked at Pape, fuming.

"You may have forgotten this Pape, but my one and only daughter is out there right now, with your one and only son. I am trying to be nice here, and try to find them. If you want to argue and be an ass, well then get OUT of my house." Hakoda fumed. He pointed a finger at Pape. "I don't know where you think you have the right to come in here and give me disrespect, but there is no need. I'd like to find our kids and get this over with."

Pape looked at Hakoda, his grey eyes still cold.

"Well…"

"AHHH!"

Hakoda jumped up as his wife screamed in the kitchen. Pape followed, bumping into Hakoda when he came to a complete stop. He walked around him, looking at Kaya. Her face was focused on her hand, which was maneuvering a ball of water. Sokka gasped, stepping in between his dad and Pape.

"Kaya..."Hakoda trailed off, watching his wife's face as she moved the water around. She started to smile.

"This isn't real." She said. Disbelief covered her face. "This isn't real. I haven't, ever, been able to do this." She was now shaking her head, looking at her husband. "How am I doing this?" She asked. Hakoda was at a loss of words.

Suddenly, the water dropped to the floor, and Kaya jumped.

"Shit." She said, grabbing a towel and mopping up the water. Pape threw his fist down, a rush of air going with his hand. Hakoda looked at him, flabbergasted by what was going on.

"Whoa." Sokka said, watching. Pape moved his hand again, but no air moved. The room was still. Hakoda and Pape looked at each other, their eyes confused. But then Sokka spoke.

"We really need to find Katara and Aang."

O.o

Aang and Katara sat on the bed, looking out the window. Katara was wrapped in a robe, Aang dressed in his pajama pants. They were watching the stars, the sky suddenly clear when they had gotten up. Aang had his arms wrapped around Katara, his chin on her shoulder. Aang's head was tilted, as he stared at the stars.

"Something about the stars is different." He whispered in Katara's ear. She looked at him, and he pointed to the sky.

"You see that constellation right there?" He said, pointing to the oceans swell. She nodded.

"Well, usually it is closer to the boulder pile." He pointed to the constellation to the right of the sky. Katara nodded again.

"Now, do you see the air's spiral? It's usually closer to the fire pit." He pointed, and Katara nodded again.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Katara asked, looking at Aang's face.

"Well, I think we need to go look at something."

O.o

Aang and Katara stood over the drawings, finding the right constellation. Katara tilted her head, looking at Aang. He had the previous day's records, and he had a ruler out. He was measuring the spaces between the stars, figuring out the math in his head.

"They moved, approximately 10 feet across the sky. The ocean swell and the air spiral moved 10 feet across the sky to almost touch. When for 100 years they haven't been. But, when you go back 100 years to the night of May 19th, they are aligned. The tips of each sharing three stars. But then, on the night of May 20st, they are 10 feet apart." He said, looking down at Katara. She looked down at the papers, her brain working overdrive.

"So, that means…" Aang nodded.

"Yeah, that's what it means."

* * *

_I was just loooking in my inbox of my e-mail, and I realized that I still have the e-mail that told me that I had posted a new story, and the first responses to it. I smiled. Reviews, please?_

_Thanks, Izzy:)_


	12. Chapter 12: Sokka

_It's taken a while to update, but gosh I am super busy, and I started a new story that has gotten me all plot bunnied to it haha. That didn't sound right.... Anywho, I will not forget you all. I promise. I'm stuck right now, seeing as Star Testing is happening, but I know where this is going. I'm sad to say it will end soon._

_You aren't going to know the resolution until next chapter, so you could say this is a filler with some fluff._

* * *

I sat still, not moving my eyes from Katara. She seemed just as shocked as I was; even more if that was possible. Her eyes were on her hands, which covered her stomach. I watched her, contemplating my next move. I didn't know what I should do; I was just as scared and astounded as she probably was. Standing up, I walked over and sat down next to her. She didn't move, and I wrapped my arm around her slowly. She buried her face in my chest, and pulled me close. I sighed, my brain reeling.

"This is all wrong." She said, her voice partially muffled by my shirt. I was taken back only for a second before I answered.

"Why?" I asked, not wanting to hear her answer.

"This isn't how this should be. We shouldn't have this huge weight on our shoulders to fix this. We shouldn't feel obligated to fall in love, we just should. It shouldn't be like this. It's wrong, wrong, wrong!" She said, looking up at me. I got what she was saying.

"But think for a second; do you think our families would be great, happy friends if they found out about what had happened?" She shook her head.

"No, but they would have known who to blame, except just placing the blame with no evidence. It might have been easier, and I probably wouldn't have this cast on my arm. People wouldn't be dead." I winced at her last two points. I knew what she meant.

"I know. And just maybe we wouldn't be in this situation." I said, instantly regretting my words. I somehow loved our situation, hiding out in a hotel room during a storm, making love during a storm. It was all slightly pleasing, yet dangerous at the same time. I like it.

"It's not that bad." Katara said, reading my mind. I bent down and kissed her softly.

"Could be worse." I sarcastically said. She played along.

"Yeah, we could have no clothes." She smirked at me, and I sighed.

"That would be awful." I said. She smiled, getting up.

"I think we should go back." She said. I nodded, grabbing her hand as we walked out. I got into my car, waiting for Katara to get it. But her hand stay, poised to open the door, as she looked across the parking lot. I got back out, looking at her.

"Katara?" I asked, following her gaze. I saw a guy, and knew why she was staring.

It was her brother.

I watched Katara's expression. She looked like she wanted to run over to him, hug him tight and cry. I walked around the car, and she looked at me.

"It's Sokka." She whispered, and I pulled her close. I could tell she wanted to cry. I held her tight, rubbing her back. I heard people talking, and someone walking. I didn't pay attention, comforting Katara.

"I can't believe this." She whispered, and I nodded. She reached over to get into the car, opening the door. I let her go, closing the door behind her. I turned around to see Sokka, 10 feet from my car. He was looking at me, wary.

"Aang? Look, I'm not going to do anything. I…. I just want to see my little sister." He said. I put my hands up in peace and turned to open the door again. Katara looked at me.

"Sokka's out there." I said, and she jumped out of the car. She had her arms around her brother in a matter of seconds, and I could see the happy expression on her face.

"Sokka!" She said. Sokka held his sister tight, his arms around her shoulders.

"It's good to see you Katara." He said, looking down at her. She smiled at him, kissing his cheek. He looked over at me, and Katara sighed.

"Come on over here Aang." She beckoned me over, and I walked over slowly. She grabbed my hand, and looked at her brother.

"You're not going to hurt him, right Sokka? We are all friendly here." She said. I nodded, and Sokka shrugged.

"I'm not going to do anything. I'm just glad to see you Katara." Sokka said. I nodded, looking around. I knew I was just being paranoid.

"Have you figured it out yet, Katara?" Sokka asked, and I looked down at her. She was looking at me, her eyes a huge question mark. I shrugged.

"We think so." She said, keeping it vague. Sokka looked at her.

"And?" I sighed.

"Well, it's….complicated." I said. Katara nodded, looking up at me again.

"How so?" Sokka asked. This time, Katara sighed in aspiration.

"Get in the car." Katara said.

O.o

(Katara's POV)

I turned over in bed, looking at Aangs face. He smiled at me, and I frowned. He hadn't fallen asleep yet, when he needed to.

"Aang, go to sleep." I said, lying on my back. His hand found its way over my lower waist, causing chills to go up my spine. He smiled, kissing my neck.

"I can't sleep." He whispered on my neck. I cursed silently.

"Now, neither can I." I said, rolling over and kissing him. I couldn't help myself; he was teasing me too much. I swung my leg over his waist, straddling it. My hands were in his hair in seconds, and his fingers were on my back. I pulled back, looking into his eyes.

"You're driving me crazy kid." I said. He smirked. Leaning up, he kissed my chest.

"We agree on something." I said. He laughed, pulling me down to lay next to him.

I felt happy, enlightened. As the day went on, I was beginning to feel the depressing mood lifting. I had my bending skills, something that surprised me. I wasn't sure if our idea was right, but for some reason I knew it was. Smiling, I looked up at Aang.

"Do you feel it?" I asked. I didn't need to specify, he knew what I was talking about.

"I can." He whispered back, running his fingers along my waist. I shivered, shocks going up and down my spine.

"I wonder if it will get better." I whispered. He shrugged.

"I'm fine." He whispered, and his lips found mine again.

* * *

_Yeah, a filler. But, next chapter will be longer, and have some resolution. I don't expect much reveiws, but send me some. :)_

Thanks, Izzy:)


	13. Chapter 13: Home

**A/N: **No. Your e-mail is not playing tricks on you, I am not pulling your leg. I actually, finally (after over a year) updated this. I feel awful for leaving you guys for so long. I really do. And, I don't blame you if you have to go back and look over stuff or anything.

Anyway, I'm so so so so sorry. I hope this chapter lives up to the year I've left it. :(

**Disclaimer: **Oh, really, I only wish I owned. I'd be reading over stuff for the new show. :D

* * *

I sat in the passenger seat as Aang drove, his hands keeping the wheel steady. He was paying close attention to the road, but I had a feeling he was thinking about other things. We were getting close to our town, and I was beginning to get nervous. I touched my arm.

After leaving the hotel, we had driven back to the cabin. We stopped there to get the story straight, and make sure we had everything covered. I had then called Toph, and asked her if she could somehow bring one of the concert slabs to my house around the time we would get there. By the time we were done, it was getting late. We had instantly gone to sleep, knowing we'd need our rest for the next day.

"Are you okay?"

I looked over at Aang, seeing his concern. I shrugged, holding the picture of Hilshi and Cashen to my chest. I had a knot in my chest, and I was trying hard to release the tension.

"Yeah." I said, but I knew Aang could tell I was lying. I bit my lower lip as he quickly turned onto a street that bordered a park. He parked next to the curb, and slowly shut off the car. I let go of my lip, taking a deep breath. The air outside the car was calm and cool. Everything seemed fresh and new after the rains.

"I think we should talk."

I didn't have to look at Aang this time to see the concern. I shifted in my seat so I was facing him more, and looked up. He smiled at me slightly, before reaching over and touching my cheek.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He said quietly, and I grinned slightly.

"I'm nervous, is all." I said and he smiled at me. He took off his seat belt and slid over next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. He shifted, before taking a deep breath.

"Why are you nervous?" He asked, and I took a long breath.

"I don't know. I mean, what if they don't believe us? It's been one hundred years."

There was a whoosh of air, and I shut my eyes as my hair flew around me. I couldn't stop the smile that grew on my face, and I looked up at Aang.

"Why wouldn't they believe us?" He asked innocently. I shook my head, feeling silly.

"You're right."

I felt Aang nod, and then his hand squeezed my shoulder. We sat for a moment, and I felt the quiet settle over me. I then heard Aang breath, and looked up at him.

"What happens after this?" He asked, and I quirked an eyebrow.

"I mean, like, after we explain what happened? What are _we_ going to do?"

It was my turn to move in the car, and I straddled Aang's waist as he slid into my seat.

"What do you think we are going to do?"

Aang shrugged, and I smiled. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, nestling my head in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I could feel the confusion in his grip.

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking." He sounded a little sarcastic.

"Well, what do you want?" I sat back on his lap, resting my cast-covered arm on his shoulder. He moved his hands off my waist, and up to my face. Before I could react, he kissed me. I smiled as he rested his forehead against mine.

"I understand." I said, causing him to laugh.

"I think we should go on a date." He said, and I tilted my head.

"I mean, I want to formally date you. After we explain to our parents and stuff. You know, go to the movies or go get lunch. That kind of thing."

I laughed before wrapping my arms around his neck again and nodding.

"I think I'd like that." I said with a grin, and he grinned back. I moved off his lap, and he slid back into the driver's seat. As he drove around the block, his hand found mine on the seat and I smiled.

o.O

I found myself slightly surprised to find not only my parents, but Aang's as well in my living room. However, they were nowhere near each other, and Sokka sat in on the couch in the middle. My parents were sitting on the far couch, while Pape Zephin stood with his wife near the door. When Aang went over to give them a hug, Sokka got up and grabbed me, dragging me over to where our parents stood.

"Katara." Mom breathed, wrapping her arms around me tightly. I hugged her back, and felt my father's arms go around me as well.

"You really had us worried." Dad said, and I rolled my eyes. I knew, deep down under his façade of anger, he'd been worried. And I knew that, at any time, I'd be able to come home.

Solution or no solution.

"So, did you figure it out?"

I let go of my parents, turning around to look at Sokka. He was standing behind me, and I bit my lower lip. I walked around him, picking my bag off the floor and reaching inside.

I quickly pulled out: the picture of Hilshi and Cashen, the history book, everything I'd written down from my visit with Jelni, and the copies of the star charts Aang had made. I then grabbed Aang, pulled him over next to me, and stood up straight.

"Please, sit." I said to his parents, and Pape looked at me closely. His wife huffed, and pulled on his hand.

"Pape, just do it." She said, making him move over to the couch to sit.

"Akane-"

She gave him a firm look, and he sat on the couch next to the end. Sokka sat back down, next to Akane, and my parents sat on the other side of him.

"Okay, you have our attention Katara. Go." Sokka said, and I grinned at him.

"I assume that you," I looked at Aang's parents, "Have noticed your bending has returned?" I said, and Pape nodded. His hand moved to clutch his wife's, and I nodded.

"Well, then I guess I should just explain. See, I looked through some history books and found the date we lost our bending and began fighting. May 21st, 1909, as we probably all already know. Well, what's interesting, is that Hilshi Heken and Cashen Zephin both disappeared the day before, on the 20th. Now, I went to see Inshi, my great uncle, and he told me a little bit about what he remembers about the two. Mostly that they were good friends and stuff. About how Inshi can clearly remember the look of jealousy in their spouses eyes when they did certain things."

I picked up the picture and stared at it before handing it to Dad. He smiled at it for a moment, before handing it off to my mother.

"I went and spoke with Jelni, as you know, and she told me much about her father and Hilshi. We had a lovely conversation about it, and she told of fights she'd heard between her parents."

"When Katara and I were up at the cabin, I told her about Hilshi being seven months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. And Katara did simple math, and figured out that eight months before her disappearance Hilshi's husband was away on business." Aang interrupted, and then I heard the doorbell ring. I quickly moved over to the door, to find Toph there with the chunk of concrete at the bottom of my front steps. I looked at Aang, and he nodded.

"Here, come look."

I gave Toph a hug as the parents walked down the steps to look at the concrete.

"We found this in the river, towards the east side of town. I found it, a long time ago in my wanderings. The river breaks into a rectangle shape, and the water runs faster there." Aang said.

"You mean the warm spring river, right?" Sokka said, and I nodded at him. He put his hand on his chin.

"I've been there. I've noticed the waters faster, but I've never been able to read the slab." He said as he bent down to look at the date.

"Do you know what's under the slab?" Aang asked, and Sokka paled slightly.

"No." He said, and I shook my head.

"You don't want to know."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Dad said, looking skeptical.

"It's a grave marker. Under this was Cashen." Toph snapped, and I touched her shoulder. My parents stared at me, and I could see Pape bit his lips.

"So they were…" Pape trailed off, and then he shook his head.

"My dad always told stories, about how he believed his mother was murdered. As he got older and older, the stories became more… imaginative and wild. And one time, when I went to visit him in the hospital, he told me he believed that his father killed Cashen. He was thirteen when Hilshi died, and always told me stories about what he heard his father say in his sleep."

I stared at my dad, watching as he stared at the slab of concrete and spoke. Pape shifted.

"What did he say in his sleep?" I asked, and Dad laughed.

"Grandpa always talked in his sleep. And, if you were lucky enough, you could get a conversation going with him. He was that kind of sleeper. And, dad told me that one time he got Grandpa to tell him about the night Cashen disappeared and that Grandpa said he'd done it. In his sleep, nonetheless, but it still scared dad."

Pape shifted again, this time moving up to the stone. He touched it for a moment, before looking up at Aang.

"You have something else to show us?"

I jumped, and ran inside. Aang was behind me, and we carefully pulled the star charts we needed out. I stepped onto the gravel of my loop driveway when I felt a raindrop fall onto my nose. I looked up at the sky and felt more rain hit my face.

"Lets get inside." I heard my mom say, and everyone moved past me up the stairs. I stared up at the sky, moving my uninjured hand above my head and concentrating on moving the water droplets away. I smiled as they did, and then ran inside to follow everyone else. Aang was showing them the star charts, and I stood back to watch. When Aang finished, it got quiet.

I looked between Pape and my father, watching as they both thought. I could see the thought on my dad's face, and could just make out Pape's. I saw Mom touch Dad's back, and then he looked up at me.

"So, their deaths caused this." He stated, and I nodded. Pape shifted again, and this time I turned to glare at him.

"I am thinking. Do you think that, without knowing it, my grandmother and your grandfather killed Hilshi and Cashen on the same night?"

He was looking at Dad, and Dad bit his lip.

"Because they each believed their spouse was cheating on them, and was jealous already."

I watched as both men seemed to comprehend what Aang and I were saying. Dad looked at Mom, and then stepped forward. He held his hand out to Pape, and Pape looked at him.

"I want to say I'm sorry. For anything I have done in the past."

There was a moment when I thought Pape wouldn't take my father's hand.

However, he then took my father's hand and smiled.

O.o

"I hear you have a very interesting story for us tonight, Wu?"

"Why, yes, a very interesting and positive one. Today I was informed by a friend that the Zephin and Heken families (known for being the largest and wealthiest families of the water and air elements) have regained their bending."

Wu turned at her desk, looking over at her partner anchor, Teo.

"Really? That's amazing."

"Yes, it quite is. It's been discovered that the murders of Hilshi Heken and Cashen Zephin caused the families bending to disappear 100 years ago."

"Murders? But, weren't those cold cases?"

"They have been marked as cold case disappearances for 100 years now, but their bodies were discovered by the two kids who figured out the mystery. They were buried in a warm spring river near the east side of town, under two slabs of concrete."

"So it was a double homicide?"

"No, see, that is where things get odd. Apparently, each was killed in a different manner. The coroner believes their murders were separate acts."

"That's amazing. So, the fighting between the two families will end now?" Teo asked in a hopeful voice. Wu shrugged.

"We can only hope, can't we?" She said, and Teo nodded.

"That's right. Now, how about Ban with the weather."

The news story played on the television, all around town. Some missed it, as they were outside practicing their newfound bending. Most earth and fire benders saw, and the news rapidly spread from neighbor to street vendor to cabbage merchant to anyone who would listen.

The Heken's and Zephin's, unfortunately, missed it. They spent their evening in the back yard of Hakoda's home, most of the children practicing their bending while the adults sat around a table and talked. Sokka joined at the request of his father, but Katara turned down the request. Aang did as well, and Katara led Aang over to a small group of trees in the far corner of her back yard. There was a hammock there, and they laid down on it.

They were quiet as they watched the children play near the small pond. Katara could hear the beat of Aang's heart, as her ear was pressed to his chest. She smiled to herself, moving her gaze to the table of adults. She felt a surge of happiness in her stomach, and she looked up at Aang. His eyes were shut, and he looked calm and happy.

"Aang." She said, and he opened one eye slightly.

"Yeah?" He asked, squeezing her shoulder. She laid her head back on his chest, matching her breathing to his.

"We did good."

"Very literate." He teased her, and she slapped his arm. He laughed at her, before pulling her hair off her neck.

"But, yes, we did good."

Katara laughed to herself, but stopped when she had to bound out of the hammock to prevent two little water benders from strangling each other. Aang watched her go for a moment before smiling and shutting his eyes again.

He fell asleep before Katara got back, listening to the sounds of the calm backyard.

* * *

**A/N: **So, there will be an epilouge soon. Sometime soon. I would have posted this on Sunday, but then I went camping for three days. So, you have it now. If I find some time this week, I'll get that epilouge posted.

Reviews would be appreciated, even if it's just to yell at me. :P

Thanks, Izzy.


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